Life Improved
by Bat-J
Summary: Conqueror Story. Xena as a powerful ruler who sacrificed everything to become who she is, until realization hit her : it really is lonely at the top.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer : I own nothing.**

The day was as beautiful as she could have hoped. Since she heard about the news, she was uncontrollable. She was supposed to help Misha in the tavern but she couldn't stay in place, so she was told to wait elsewhere. So here she was, keeping a close watch over Amphipolis, waiting for her target.

XXX

When was the last time, when did she last put a foot in her childhood village, when did she last saw her ? She couldn't even remember. Time went by so quickly. These past years, her sole preoccupation was ruling over her Empire. Being the Conqueror, this was her priority. But now that her realm was stable she started to think about what she left behind. Since the thought came to her mind moons ago, she wasn't able to get rid of it. She never backed off from anything but this, this was different.

The Conqueror sensed Patrocle, her second in command approaching before seeing him. "My Liege. We should be in Amphipolis on time."

The Conqueror didn't respond which bothered the man. It was never a good sign when his Lord was so deep in thought.

"Do you need anything else My Liege ?" It took the Conqueror a few seconds before answering with an unconcerned expression.

"No it will be all"

The Conqueror barely acknowledged him. Whatever is concerning her he was hoping it didn't involve an immediat threat, they certainly didn't have the manpower to defend themselves against a serious attack.

It had been a tough battle between him and the Conqueror to organize this journey. The Conqueror insisted that it had to remain private, no one had to know what they had planned. Patrocle didn't know the reason of the visit, all he knew was that the Conqueror wanted to go over there as soon as possible. Only two days before their departure they sent a messenger to Amphipolis to announce their visit. The Conqueror refused to make this an official visit, so they left with minimum security, and only trusted men, to the displeasure of her second in command.

XXX

"They're here ! The Conqueror is here !"

Upon hearing this, people gathered together at the entrance of the village. Everyone wanted to get a good look at the Conqueror. Children were ecstatics, many stories were told about the Great Conqueror, her legendary battles, her bravery, how strong she was. Some say she has godly powers, much like Ares himself. They were not disappointed by the view. The Conqueror entered the village in full battle dress surrounded by guards in uniform. She mounted a huge and beautiful black horse. The sight frightened some of the children who prefered to retreat toward their parents. The adults themselves were not reassured. The Head of the village took a tentative step toward the beast some called a horse.

"Conqueror, this is a pleasure to welcome you back here in Amphipolis" the man was bowing as low as he could. "My name is Liam, Head of the village."

"What happened to Pius ?" The Conqueror said suspicious, refusing to dismount her horse. She realized long ago that this view seemed to have a particuliar effect on people, she was usually getting quicker answers that way.

"He passed away my Lord, about six moons ago. He had been sick for a long time" The man couldn't find the strength in him to look her in the eyes.

The news sadden the Conqueror. Pius had been Head of the village for as long as the ruler could remember. She respected the man.

Just when she was about to finally dismount, something crashed into her horse. She saw her guards getting to their weapons when she realized what has crashed into her horse was far from a threat. She gestured to her guards to lower their weapons. To her surprise, her horse didn't mind the presence which made her smile inside because, to her knowledge, she was the only human being her horse didn't try to kill so far.

"Ouch." She would definitely have bruises tomorrow. The horse crasher was getting herself back on her feet when she heard someone calling her name. This couldn't be good.

"Alexa ! For heaven sake child ! You will get your-" She heard Misha before seeing her. She turned toward the voice to see the woman stop dead in her tracks, her eyes wide open. Less than a second later Liam approached the Conqueror surely expecting the worst for the little girl.

"Lord Conqueror ! Please excuse the behavior of the girl, everyone was excited to see you today, some more than others" He was smiling at the girl who looked at her feet sheepishly. "I can assure you she meant no disrespect."

Alexa dared a look at the woman standing next to her and she was immediately amazed by what she saw "You're so tall".

The Conqueror humored by the statement looked back at the girl raising a perfect eyebrow.

Misha was staring at the scene, horrified. It was time for her to intervene. "Alexa, show some respect !" she hissed gesturing for her to curtsey.

Alexa remembering finally who she had in front of her put her right hand on her heart and bowed lowly. "I'm sorry My Lord, please excuse my rudeness". Alexa thought to herself that she was pretty good at this, Misha was wrong she could act like a lady.

"I'll excuse it. This time" acknowledged the Conqueror sternly. Her stiff behavior didn't seem to have an effect on the girl though.

"I'm Alexa by the way".

"Child !" Misha murmured angrily. She grabbed the girl, bowed before the ruler and made a beeline toward her house. One more word and she was sure the Conqueror was going to take strict measures against the impolite girl.

Once inside, Misha let go of her frustration.

"Are you out of your mind !" she tried to keep her voice down. "Have you suddenly forgotten who is the woman outside ?" Alexa hadn't forgotten, far from it. She had heard every story about the Lord Conqueror, she had talked to every bard who came her way. "-and you just rush toward her almost getting you killed by her guards and talking to her like a commoner !" Misha was on a roll, that meant she was in big trouble.

"I'm sorry, i got excited. I was afraid i would miss her so i ran. I didn't mean to collide into her horse." Indeed, she didn't. She could feel a lump on her head. What was that horse made of ? The older woman noticed the bruise too.

"You need to put ice on this if you don't want to have a second forehead tomorrow".

While the older woman was busy making ointment, the bruised troublemaker was deeply thinking about her previous encounter. She was in awe, the Conqueror was even more impressive in reality. She needed to know more about her.

"Is she going to stay in the tavern ?"

"With her men yes."

"Why do you think she is here ?" she asked eagerly. But she got no answer. "Do you think it's because she misses her village ?" Still no answer.

One thing Misha was sure of was that the Conqueror certainly wasn't missing Amphipolis. She never ever came to see her brother and her mother even though they were both buried here.

"Do you know how long she plans to stay ?"

"A few days i presume." The woman distractly answered. "Keep the ice on your head and stay put while i go to the tavern".

Alexa wanted to protest but her earlier adventure made her reconsider. Misha was already mad at her she didn't need to make things worst. Besides she didn't want to take the risk of bumping into the Conqueror in her state, that would be embarassing.

The tavern was bustling. To the owner surprise, the news of the presence of the Conqueror wasn't having an impact on her customers.

Misha was busy preparing diner, she hasn't seen her famous customer since her arrival in the village. She prepared an early meal for her and her men but the Conqueror asked for it to be served in her room. The woman was going to get the food out of the kitchen when one of her employee came rushing in.

"Misha ! The Conqueror, she's asking for you" The poor girl had difficulty catching her breath.

"Take those plates, i'll be right back" The woman walked briskly toward the room of the Conqueror, passing by guards after guards who were looking suspiciously at her. She came upon the last man in front of the ruler's door. She didn't know him but she guessed he was someone important. He was not wearing the same uniform than the other men and he was looking at her more friendly than his colleagues.

"Ma'am." He saluted her and opened the door for her. When inside, she noticed the fire was alive, and all the lamps were off.

"I hope i am not disturbing your work calling you here" The Conqueror's voice surprised Misha who couldn't see her in the darkness of the room. "It seems to be busy downstairs".

"It is" she managed to utter. Finally she saw movements at the end of the room. Misha realized the woman was busying herself looking out the window, probably checking for potentiel danger.

"Diner was good, better than what i eat in Corinth."

"Thank you. I had a great teacher." She couldn't see the expressions on the face of the ruler but she could guess and was sure that she was smiling right now.

"Indeed" The ruler murmured to herself.

"I'd like to apologize for Alexa's behavior earlier. Sometimes she can be a little too reckless."

The Conqueror remained silent. For a second Misha thought that maybe her apology wasn't enough. She was in front of the ruler of half of the world after all, surely people have died for much less than attacking her in plain sight and talking to her like she was a simple peasant. Just when she was about to further excuse the attitude of Alexa, the ruler started to talk.

"How old is she ?"

Misha was surprised by the question. "She just turned fifteen".

A silence again. Misha was still standing close to the door while the younger woman still remained hidden in the shadows of the room. The atmosphere in the room was unsettling, it was too much for the tavern owner. "May i ask why you called me here ?" she said anxious.

"To talk about her future." The Conqueror answered without hesitation.

"Her future ?"

"Decisions need to be taken."

Misha was cought of guard. She didn't understand what the Conqueror was talking about.

"I'm not following you"

"The Empire is strong. I can't hide behind my duties anymore." Finally the Conqueror decided to fully show herself. Earlier, Misha didn't take the time to look at her but now being all alone in front of her she couldn't avoid it and what she saw startled her. Like Alexa remarked earlier, the woman was taller than normal, much taller than most of the men in the village. She was wearing a simple battle dress, her muscles in display. Her stature was impressive and strangely appealing. Misha would never admit being afraid of the woman, but she could fathom why people were. Her body, her charisma, everything about her screamed of danger, of power and violence. "She's old enough to understand".

"Is it why you're here ?" The tavern owner asked in disbelief.

"I'm here to offer her a way out. Corinth will offer her much more opportunities than Amphipolis."

"We both know that when the word spread out, her life will never be the same. One foot in Corinth and she will become everyone's attention, she will become a pawn. She wasn't raised to assume this." Misha was outraged.

"What choices does she have here ? Between being a tavern owner and marrying a farm boy. I can provide for her with the best education. She will be able to see the world, meet the brightest minds of our time." The Conqueror wasn't used to people discussing her intentions, and she wasn't known for her patience. But she knew this time, to have her way, she will have to convince and not threaten.

"And become a political tool"

"Do you think i am that shallow, using a teenager to accomplish something" The Conqueror was disgusted by the accusation.

"You can't blame me for not trusting you. I raised her because you wouldn't. You put your realm before her and now you come back years after expecting what exactly ? That i give her to you without asking questions ?" Misha couldn't contain her temper, she didn't care that the woman in front of her could order her demise. She approached the ruler and angrily pointed out to her, "Outside you may be the Great Conqueror but we both know that here in Amphipolis you're just Xena, at least to me. I'm not afraid of you, i won't let you put her safety in jeopardy, not without a fight." They stared at each other for what seems like hours, Misha wanting to be sure her point has been made and the Conqueror not wanting to lose this argument. But the older woman had a point, here in Amphipolis, she was just Xena, she didn't want to force anything, so she gave up for now.

She moved toward her bedroom door, a sign the discussion was over. Before letting Misha go, the Conqueror needed to have the final word "You can't keep her emprisone in a cocoon. She's old enough to make her own decisions. Let her decide, this is her life after all."


	2. Chapter 2

When Misha went back to her house, Alexa was already asleep. Stretched carelessly on her bed with a damp towel next to her head. To the relief of the woman, the bruise on Alexa's forehead was receding but to be sure she put some more ointment on it. She was about to leave her bedside when she noticed scrolls on the floor on the other side of the bed. Misha quickly realized that it wasn't any scrolls but Alexa's diary.

She remembered the day when the girl asked her for money to buy things so she could start writing. Misha asked her what she wanted to write about and Alexa stopped moving, looking at her with puppy eyes. The girl couldn't answer. Misha realized she must not have thought this through so she was the one suggesting a diary. The woman never thought twice about it, she wasn't even sure the girl ever used the tools she bought that day. To her surprise Alexa indeed started to write.

_"My name is Alexa. I'm 12. This is the first time i try to write a diary. I'm not sure if it's going to be a regular thing but i had to try. I always thought that to write a diary you'd need something to talk about but Misha told me that it could be like a friend, a friend who will never ever reveal your secrets. I told her that if someone was talking about your secrets it was not a real friend but she answered me that sometimes even a friend could be a disappointment. That's a sad thought._

_I should probably explain about Misha. She is the one who raised me after the death of my parents. I don't know much about my parents, or what was Misha's relationship with them, it is not something she likes to talk about. I don't think they were good people because no one ever shared their memories of them, at least not with me. Sometimes i can see the elders looking at me with a certain wariness and i wonder if this is related. I'm at the crossroad, i want to hear about my parents but i can feel the answer will be hard to swallow._

_I live in Amphipolis, i grew up here. It is not a very big village but big enough to have a tavern, owned by Misha. I'm proud to be from here, it is the village where the Lord Conqueror was born. I still can't believe the ruler of most of the known world lived here. I try to learn everything i can about her. Thanks to the tavern, we often have bards who stop here for a night or two, so i can ask for stories about the Conqueror. I know some people here don't want to hear about her, the elders mostly, they're still blaming her for the death of many, calling her names, like the Destroyer of Nations. She protects Greece from invaders and they're still thinking she is a demon._

_In 12 years i never saw her here but i'm sure that one day she will come."_

Misha carefully put the scroll on Alexa's desk. She couldn't stop the tears falling from her eyes. Right there she became aware of a painful truth. If Alexa had a choice, of course she would choose to leave. She was obsessed by the ruler for years now and soon she will have to decide whether she wants to stay here with a futur far from exciting or leave with her idol and enjoy a luxurious life.

Unlike Alexa, Misha knew it will not be that easy, she knew the life in Corinth will come with expectations and rules the young girl was never prepared to assume. But what can she offer her here in Amphipolis ? Alexa would be safe, yes. But deep down Misha always felt the girl was made for better. She was smart, with a good education she could become someone, a woman who will be remembered.

XXX

"My Queen"

The said Queen turned toward the voice, surprised to see someone in her quarter. She was about to lecture the intruder about the importance of privacy but the woman beat her to it.

"Forgive me My Queen to enter unannounced but your Weapon Master asked me to fetch you. It's an emergency."

If Eponin ordered someone to break one of the few rules she put in place when she became Queen, Gabrielle thought it was indeed quite the emergency.

Once at the gates of the Amazon City, Gabrielle understood. A group of Amazons was laying there surrounded by their comrades. There was so much blood, Gabrielle felt a fire building in her chest. "What happened ?" She asked her Weapon Master.

"Centaurs" Eponin was as tensed as her bow. The healer was desperately working on one of the fallen Amazon until Eponin moved towards her and stopped her movements.

"Is she-?" But the Queen couldn't finish her sentence, she didn't want to ask that question.

The healer looked back at her and shook her head.

Gabrielle wanted to scream, she could see her fellow sisters mourning already the lost of the Amazon. As Queen though she couldn't, she was the one who had to stay focused, she was the rock of the Amazon Nation. So she hold back her tears and clenched her teeth.

"Gather everyone. I want to know what took place over there." Then the Queen knelt down next to the dead body of her sister and kissed her forehead sending a prayer to Artemis asking her to welcome and take care of the fallen Amazon.

When Gabrielle entered the meeting room, her sisters were already arguing about the procedure to follow. They stopped talking to salute their ruler and waited for their Queen to speak.

"We lost a sister today." Her voice strong and regal she added "Blood was spilled on Amazon territory, the first drops since the signature of our peace treaty with the Centaurs years ago. I demand answers." She said looking intently at every Amazons present at the table.

Eponin was the first to speak. "Amarice was supposed to guard the gates. I had problems with her these last moons, she often defied my orders. She was a hothead. She wasn't supposed to be there."

"She is dead Eponin, it's hardly the time to insult her !" Solari was upset, everyone knew the bond between her and Amarice was strong. Solari was the one who trained the girl when she first came to live with the tribe.

"We almost lost two of our sisters because of her craving for actions ! They are seriously injured ! All because of one reckless woman." Eponin couldn't contain her anger.

"Are you saying she deserved it ?" Solari was fuming.

Eponin was aware of the tension in the room, she thought it best to carefully chose her words. "No one deserve to die like that. I will personally ask that justice be made but i know what you are all thinking."

"And what are we thinking exactly ?" Solari taunted.

The Weapon Master looked at them with disgust. "You're thinking of revenge."

"She didn't die by mistake Eponin, she was trampled to death. Of course we want revenge." The voice came from Chilapa. Eponin wasn't surprised to hear that from her. The young Amazon never withheld her dislike of the Centaurs.

"We need proof before doing anything." Insisted the Weapon Master.

"We need to prepare !" Chilapa roared. "Our sisters defended themselves. Centaurs have casualties too and they are probably not hesitating like us. If they attack us we need to be ready." She then looked back at Eponin, glaring at her. "Since when are you backing off from a fight ? Are you not our Weapon Master ?"

"Yes i am. And as such i can tell you all that a war with the Centaurs right now would result in a bloodbath. For people who are so angered by the death of one of our own, you sure are quick to ask for the death of many more."

Eponin's words shocked the Concil, every Amazons in the room were outraged and were not shy to voice it.

The Queen couldn't stand it anymore. "Enough !" she cried successfully silencing the room. "We need informations before taking any rash decisions. I want to hear about our injured sisters. What did they say ?"

Again Eponin was the one to speak up. "Cara was overseeing the group. She told us Amarice joined them at the border of Centaurs territory. Some Centaurs were apparently hunting, one of their prey ended up dying inside Amazon territory, he tried to retrieve it that's when Amarice attacked him."

"A Centaur crossed our border ! And killed one of our own on our land ! What else do you need ?"

"It happen all the time ! _We_ cross it everyday ! It's a mutual understanding. The difference this time is that we had an overzealous and rogue sister outside as well." Eponin's patience was lessening. She saw Gabrielle silencing any comments from her sisters before motioning to her to keep going with her report. "When the Centaurs saw their comrade being attacked, they went to defend him. Our sisters did the same for Amarice."

Gabrielle couldn't believe what she was hearing. "We attacked first." she said dreadfully.

"Yes My Queen." Acknowledged Eponin.

Gabrielle felt a sudden weariness settle. Hours before she was the leader of a peaceful Nation and now she is here discussing the possibility of a conflict.

"How many dead on their side ?"

"We don't know. Cara told us one of them had to be carried away, she couldn't tell if he was still alive."

This made everyone quiet down. Each one of the Amazon were thinking about the meaning of this. The idea of a possible war was nagging on their minds.

"My Queen, we need to act first, show them we want a diplomatic answer not a military one." Eponin persisted.

"They killed an Amazon on Amazon territory, this can't stay unanswered !"

"This is not just about us." Finally Ephiny was stepping in. She remained silent until then knowing full well how this meeting was going to go. Years of peace made them all forget about their real situation. Blinded by their pain, the big picture was lost on them. "Don't forget that a war between Centaurs and Amazons will certainly be ill-received by the Empire. We were able to keep our land only because we convinced the Conqueror that we will be the first barrier between her and the Romans. We can't fight the Centaurs and the Romans at the same time. Our action today could give her reasons to go back on our deal."

No one dared utter a word after Ephiny's intervention, knowing full well the Queen's second in command was right. The Amazons were now waiting anxiously for their Queen to make a decision. They didn't have to wait for long.

"I will go to Centaur's territory and ask to talk to Kaleipus myself."

"For all we know they're just waiting for an opportunity to attack us. You'd be an easy target. This is too dangerous." Solari looked at Eponin expecting her to at least support her on this but any more comments were stopped by the stern voice of the Queen.

"We need to act before everyone's mind is polluted by false rumors. I refused to go to war on a misconception. To avoid that, i need to talk with Kaleipus. Face to face."

Eponin managed to convince the Queen to take at least a small number of guards with her to her visit to the Centaurs. They didn't have much time to discuss Gabrielle's decision. The Queen wanted to act now, she was sure that to wait any longer will do irreparable damages.

Once at the border, the Queen asked her guards to remain in Amazon land while she advanced alone in Centaur's territory. A few steps in, she heard an arrow being shot. She stopped and saw it land a few feet from her. This was intended as a warning shot. A good sign, it meant they were willing to discuss. Gabrielle motioned to her guards to not move.

"I am Gabrielle, Queen of the Amazon Nation. I come here unarmed and request an audience with Kaleipus."

She waited. She couldn't say how long she stood there. She was about to relent to her guards who were bugging her to go back to the village when she saw a Centaur trotting toward her. Like her, he was alone.

"Queen Gabrielle" He saluted.

"Kaleipus."

"Don't think i made you wait here as some kind of power game. I was actually trying to convince my companions to not kill you on the spot."

The Queen barely managed to refrain a smile. "I should thank you then. To be honest, my sisters share the same idea."

"We seem to agree on something." Despite the intent joke, Kaleipus wasn't smiling.

"I hope we will agree on much more Kaleipus. We didn't get that far to let it all blow up because of the behavior of reckless members of our mutual tribe."

Kaleipus sent her a warning look "I lost a man today Gabrielle, his brothers are asking for justice."

Gabrielle didn't back down "I lost a sister as well. Isn't it enough justice ?" she replied with fervor.

"Your Amazons attacked a Centaur."

"Amarice is ... was a new recruit. A feisty one. She paid it with her life."

The Centaur stayed silent, apparently deep in thought.

"I doubt that will satisfy them." Kaleipus saw a fiery look lightening the Queen's eyes. "I'm sorry for your Amazon but she poured oil on an already burning fire."

Gabrielle's brow wrinkled as she was trying to understand what he was saying. "What do you mean ?"

The Centaur deliberately moved away from both tribes, not wanting anyone to eavesdrop. "More and more Centaurs are voicing their disapproval of the old peace treaty between our two Nations. The most virulent are the young ones, they think our Nation will be better off as allied to the Roman Empire." The Queen could sense his disdain, she knew Kaleipus shared her view of the Roman Empire. "Romans pretend to respect Centaurs traditions to convince us to join them against the Conqueror. In reality, they still think of us as animals. We will be used and killed at the first opportunity." Kaleipus said with venom "Our young companions, they see themselves as powerful warriors but you can be the most powerful warrior out there, you can't do anything alone against an army. Centaurs will find themselves between the Roman's and the Conqueror's army, considered as scums by one and traitors by the other." Kaleipus stopped talking but the Queen felt he wasn't finished.

"If we avoid a war today Gabrielle, it won't mean Amazons will be safe. Elders like myself, the one who lived during the unification of the Greek Empire, we don't want to throw the peace away. We're not fools, we know a war will condemn our race. Our voices still matter but know that after my death things will change." He said gravely.

"Why are you telling me all this now ?" The Queen asked suspiciously.

"Opportunity" Kaleipus approached the Queen "The Centaurs never dreamed of being as thriving as we have been these last few years and it is mainly thanks to the treaty you proposed back then. I owe you for these years of peace. In return i will do everything i can to keep our peace treaty standing for as long as i can, starting now. But you have to promise me that if the opportunity arise you will pardon the Centaurs." The older man offered the woman his outstretched hand.

Gabrielle was stunned by what was happening. She had imagined several scenarios, not one was close to what she was witnessing right now. She accepted the offered hand but couldn't refrain herself from inquiring.

"I don't understand Kaleipus. You must know i won't be able to do anything for the Centaurs if they decide to join the Romans. I don't have that kind of power."

It took the Centaur a few seconds to answer apparently unsure of what he was supposed to tell the young Queen in front of him. "You are a great leader Gabrielle. Soon it will be your time to thrieve."

Kaleipus didn't let the Amazon Queen time to question his curious remark as he was already rushing toward his companions.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer : I still own nothing.**

**Comments : I noticed a few mistakes in previous chapters, i'll try to be more careful. Thanks for the review.**

Once back in the village, Gabrielle requested again for the Council to be gathered.

The Queen shared with them the informations she received from Kaleipus, the news of the death of one of the Centaur, the risk of a rebellion in Centaur's Nation, the threat of an alliance between them and the Romans. She told them everything.

"So they won't attack us today or tomorrow."

The Amazons were disconcerted to say the least. They all prepared themselves for a imminent war with the Centaurs. Some of them even thought their Queen would be the second victim of their neighbors today. To hear their ruler managed to avoid that was impressive.

The Queen could see in her sisters' expressions that the news was a complete surprise. "With one dead on either side, no." She could see them visibly relaxed. "A life for a life. We're even." She added sadly.

"Can we trust them ?" asked Chilapa.

Like Eponin, Gabrielle knew of Chilapa's opinion of the Centaurs "I trust Kaleipus' judgement. He's well aware of what a war could entail for the Centaurs."

"Add to that the fact that his hatred for the Romans matches the one of the Conqueror" noticed Eponin. The Queen nodded.

But Chilapa was not finished. "What's our next move ? We can't wait here doing nothing while the Centaurs are preparing an uprising." Her comment seemed to awake the Council.

Questions and remarks were thrown at the young leader. A sign from her made the room calm down. "We need to share our informations with the Empire. I plan on asking for a meeting" declared Gabrielle. The truth was that she had already sent a messenger, she didn't want to wait, this was too sensitive.

"You want to invite the Conqueror here ?"

The Queen knew this part will be the toughest. "Not here. I don't want anyone to hear about it. Centaurs, Romans, even Amazons can't know about it. Until i discuss it with the Conqueror, the real situation can't get out of this room."

Most of the members of the Council didn't dare say a word after Gabrielle's declaration, too shocked by what she was asking of them. One Elder Amazon couldn't keep quiet though "You want us to lie to our sisters ?" she asked outraged.

This flared up Gabrielle "I want to keep this under wrap until we know more. I have nothing to reassure our sisters with. Telling them now will only cause unnecessary trouble." The Queen was sure that crumbs of information were far worst than no information at all. The Elders weren't seeing things like she did though, not used to this kind of governance. Gabrielle could admit she rarely used the Elders opinions on foreign policy, mainly because most of them prefered an Amazon Nation withdrew into itself. To be honest if she had taken their advices into consideration, no peace treaty would ever have been signed with the Centaurs and they would probably not be talking to each others right now.

Apparently old habits die hard. "So we will tell them a war with the Centaurs was avoided, but we won't talk to them about a pending one between us and the two remaining Empire of the known world ?"

"Not until i have a better picture of what we will have to fight against." The Queen tried diplomatically.

"You seem to expect the Conqueror to help you figure that out" said one Elder with derision.

"I do." Gabrielle answered with confidence. This was a part she knew would be hard to swallow for her fellow Amazons and she wasn't disappointed.

"My Queen i'm sorry but this is all ridiculous. The minute you will tell the Conqueror that the Romans are probably heading for a war, she will have better things to do than dealing with our demands. Why do you think she will bother herself with the fate of the Amazon Nation ?"

Sure of herself, Gabrielle voiced her plan. "The Conqueror needed the help of the Amazons once. We just need to make her remember our skills are still valuable to her."

XXX

The Conqueror was in Amphipolis for two days now. During these last two days she pondered with the idea of going to pay her respects to her mother and brother. The last time she put a foot in her family crypt was fifteen years ago, it was also the last time she saw her mother alive.

She remembered vividly the day she received Pius' letter a decade ago. Xena didn't know about her mother's sickness, the news of her death was a shock. She couldn't explain what she was feeling, she first refused to believe it was true, she even sent some of her men to Amphipolis to check up on her. They came back with the same distasteful news. A profound sadness hit her then, she even cried, a thing she hadn't done in a long time.

Since Lyceus death, she knew her mother never even acknowledged anymore that they were related. Cyrene was telling everyone she only gave birth to two sons. She didn't even go to the funeral pretexting a security issue. The truth was that she felt her presence wouldn't be welcomed.

In his letter Pius indicated Cyrene final wishes, apparently her mother had time to take care of her affairs before her death. Cyrene asked for a small ceremony. Only family. Two words to sum up everything Xena was not.

Too engrossed that she was in her thoughts, the Conqueror didn't realize she had walked all the way to the barn. Her subconscious apparently wanted her to take a break.

Entering the barn, the view bewildered her.

The Conqueror never thought necessary to put a guard with her horse as she saw first hand the beast could alone break a man's neck. Unfortunately, it seemed he was vulnerable to teenagers, one in particular.

"What do you think you're doing in here ?"

Alexa was taking care of the Conqueror's horse when she realized she wasn't alone anymore.

She turned to see who was talking to her and was startled to find herself in the presence of the ruler.

The Conqueror approached the girl "I have people trained to care for him. I don't really like strangers getting close to him" she said in an intimidating manner.

Alexa tried to keep a composure but she found it to be difficult with the dangerous vibes she could sense coming from the woman. "Lord Conqueror" she murmured, barely taking the time to bow before the warrior "I crashed into him pretty hard the other day, i just wanted to make sure he was alright."

The Conqueror pushed past Alexa to prepare her horse. "It's a war horse, he's seen worse. Besides, he doesn't like newcomers, he could have attacked you" she said coldly.

"He may look dangerous but he is not" _Unlike you, _the girl couldn't stop the thought from entering her brain.

This made the Conqueror scoff. "Believe me he is." She took the reins of her most loyal companion and marched toward the exit of the barn with Alexa following close behind. Once outside she mounted the beast, but before taking off, she made him stop near the girl. "Don't come in here alone again." She said glaring at her.

Alexa perceived the warning in the Conqueror voice. She nodded her understanding not wanting to antagonize the ruler.

It wasn't the meeting she had dreamed of having with the warrior. The past few days she had tried to get close to the Conqueror. Unfortunately for her, the woman had been inaccessible. Misha wasn't helping her either, she seemed to burden her with chores on purpose. Alexa wasn't stupid she knew Misha was looking unfavourably on her attempts to reach the attention of the ruler. Speaking of chores, she was supposed to help in the tavern, her excursion to the barn took her longer than she thought.

The tavern owner was working on the day's diner with Alexa when Patrocle came in the kitchen in a hurry.

"Excuse me Ma'am but have you seen the Lord Conqueror ?" he asked briskly.

Misha was about to answer to the negative when she heard Alexa behind her.

"I saw her leave with her horse but i don't know where."

The man thanked the girl before taking off.

"You can't call yourself a guard if you don't even know where is the person you are supposed to guard" grumbled Alexa which made Misha laughed. The tavern owner turned around to face the younger woman.

"Is it why you're sulking since you entered the tavern ? Did she refuse to let you follow her ?" she asked smiling. Alexa didn't want to answer which concerned her. "Did something happen ?"

"She didn't want me there that's all." The girl responded with dismay refusing to look up at Misha. Talking about it now made her want to cry, she knew it was silly but she expected so much more from the warrior's visit. _What was I thinking_ _!_ she berated herself. She was comforted by Misha who took her in her arms.

"I'm sorry" she whispered in the teen's hair.

"Don't be" answered Alexa sadly. "I don't know why i thought she will act differently with me. She's Greece ruler after all."

To say Misha was pissed off to see Alexa in this state would have been an understatement. She couldn't wait to see the Conqueror again, they definitely had a thing or two to talk about.

After a few candlemarks of much needed solitude, the Conqueror went back to her childhood village. Upon entering the village courtyard, she saw Patrocle anxiously waiting for her. She prepared herself for a lecture from her second in command about the danger of leaving without protection but unexpectably he did not. Instead he handed her a message, an official letter. The seal was broken, she deduced her second in command already knew what it was about which would explain his nervosity. Patrocle was the only one with the right to open official missives, she trusted the man more than she trusted herself. Besides she wasn't always available so she needed someone at all time to take care of important matter, Patrocle was the perfect choice. He was with her since her days as the Destroyer of Nations. He was the closest thing she had to a friend.

She read the scroll not letting any emotion slip. She then directed them to a more private location. "Who saw this ?"

"Just the two of us" assured Patrocle.

"The messenger ?"

"No doubt he recognized the seal but i casually refered to him that i was tired to receive those boring reports from the Amazon Nation. I'm sure he didn't think twice about it."

The Conqueror was thankful for the man. How she wished all her men were as quick thinking as he was.

"The Amazons tend to exagerate the threats, it could be nothing" the man tried to reassure.

The Conqueror sent him a look. "For them to request to meet me in person, believe me it must be life threatening."

Patrocle knew she was probably right, he just didn't want to think the worst. "Why are they asking for a meeting outside Amazon territory ? If danger is effectively looming you don't let your Queen walk around the countryside, you keep her where she will be safe" The man pondered.

"Obviously you have forgotten who is their Queen" The Conqueror commented humourlessly. "She doesn't want anyone to know what she has planned. To keep this a secret, she seemed to be ready to take excessive risks."

Patrocle didn't like what he was hearing. He was waiting for his Lord to give him instructions, he could see her thinking intently, surely considering all the options. Finally the warrior ordered "Send them our response. We will meet but i'll choose the place."

After her conversation with Patrocle, the ruler needed to talk to Misha, knowing full well her news would not be accepted gladly. She found the woman working in one of the tavern room. But as soon as she entered, the warrior found herself being the target of the tavern owner wrath. Apparently, the horse crasher had told her caretaker about their previous confrontation. The Conqueror chose to let the woman freely releash her frustation.

Finally Misha calmed down. "I don't understand you."

"You wouldn't be the first"

Misha sent her a look, unamused. "You came here with the sole purpose of rekindling missed relationship and on your second encounter with her all you do is push her away"

"I'm not used to whatever is happening. I don't know how to do this" the ruler admitted.

"Being nice would be a good start" said Misha deviously. She then turned to face the ruler, wearing a serious expression she explained, "You can't act like this with her. Every once in a while she does something i fiercely desapprove, it doesn't mean i respond in scaring her to death."

"Then you're a better person than i am" The Conqueror answered bitterly.

"That's something I never had a doubt about" The look she received from the Conqueror would have terrorized anyone. But it had no effect on Misha who went back to her work.

The warrior took some time to collect herself before speaking again. "I didn't came here to fight."

Misha glanced at the woman. "Then why are you here for ?"

"I have to leave tomorrow at first lights"

Misha turned around brusquely, appalled. This was way too soon. The Conqueror could see the distress in Misha's eyes, so for her sake, she decided to go straight to the point.

"I'm not going back to Corinth yet. Something came up. Empire's business i have to take care of."

The Conqueror saw Misha's expression changed radically.

"Of course. How naive i was to think you would actually do anything" angriness was dripping from the woman's words.

"This is not like that. This is important." Xena answered without thinking. The phrase resonated in her head, she berated herself immediately for her poor choice of words. She was not surprised to see Misha explode.

"Because she's not ? You've been here two days. And what did you accomplish ? Nothing, except maybe make her hate you."

The ruler tried to remain calm. She couldn't let her temper took the better of her. She couldn't be the Conqueror with Misha.

"The Empire still come first. You can't tell me otherwise now." Misha was pacing angrily in front of the warrior. "Explain to me why you suddenly want her back ? I want to understand how it took you fifteen years to realize that something was missing from your life." Xena was watching her stubbornly refusing to answer. Misha stopped to face her, exasperated by her attitude. "Maybe you don't know the answer so i'll explain it to you. You want her back because you finally realized that you're alone. That's what happen when you get older, you become aware of the fact that what you have now is not important. In your case you put a cross on what was important years ago without thinking twice. To sum up, you're just being selfish !"

The Conqueror couldn't deny that. Everything that Misha had just said was true. But she would never admit it. She may not have been there for fifteen years, but now she was ruling half of the known world so she thought it had to be useful for someone other than herself. It didn't mean Misha's words were not hurting and she guessed that it was meant to be.

After a while, the warrior finally found her voice. "I accepted your attitude since i arrived here but you should be careful, it might not always be the case" she was trying to sound threatening but she doubted it had an impact on the furious woman in front of her.

"I just wish you'd prove me wrong !" boomed the tavern owner cleary fed up by the situation.

"I'm trying" rebuked the ruler.

"Try harder then !" seethed Misha. "Because the girl you met earlier, she is what's important. She has to be your first concern."

That's the moment Alexa chose to enter the room visibly frightened. "What's happening ?"

Misha looked at Xena. When their eyes locked they saw understanding in each others. They knew Alexa had heard their conversation, they could see the confusion plastered on her face, the unshed tears.

Despite everything, Misha tried to reassured the girl. "It's nothing. The Conqueror and I, we were just discussing tavern matters."

Of course Alexa didn't believe that. "Stop lying to me" she said ghostly not loosing Misha from her sight. "You're acting weird since she arrived here. I'm not stupid, i know you did everything you could to keep me from seeing her. You never gave me as much chores as you did these last two days. And i saw you two talk to each other, more than once. Here in the kitchen, just the two of you. And I know you were summoned in the Conqueror's room on her first night here. Then i come help you and she is here again." The girl couldn't countain her tears any longer. "What are you hiding from me ?" she asked almost pleading.

Neither woman knew what to answer. Except the truth. A truth they were not ready to disclose. The ruler didn't think twice though, she had an early start tomorrow, tonight was definitely not the night for what they had to talk about. She moved, anxious to get out of the room but was stopped by Misha's threatening voice.

"Don't you dare leave now Xena." _Xena_. It's been a long time since someone called her by her birthname. She realized that the man who last used it was probably killed for doing so. Misha always knew how to get through her, she would give her that.

Witnessing the scene before her, realization finally hit Alexa. "You know each other."

Misha was tired of lying, tired of pretending. "Yes."

"How ?"

A beat. "We grew up together."

Alexa stood there utterly shocked. The Conqueror was too. "Stop talking right now" she ordered.

But Misha refused to bend to the wish of the ruler. "No. You told it yourself. She's old enough to understand."

Not hearing a rebuttal from the Conqueror, Alexa took her chances to know more about the situation.

"You grew up together ?" she asked to be sure she hadn't misheard. Misha nodded yes. "Were you friend ?"

The tavern owner hesitated before answering but she thought that she was too far gone now, so she replied not without emotion. "She was my best friend." It was her turn to shed tears.

Misha couldn't look at Xena. The memories were too painful. Seeing the warrior in front of her made her regretted their childhood together, when everything was simplier, when they were just two girls dreaming of adventures. Back then Misha wanted to be a healer, the best healer in Greece, she wanted to go study in Athens. On her side Xena wanted to travel the world, she wanted to see what was outside of Amphipolis. But life came in the way. When Amphipolis was attacked, Xena decided to fight back. Of course Misha was at her side. She was there when Lyceus died, she did everything she could to save him but her knowledge at the time wasn't enough. He died in her arms. That day Xena lost a brother, and she lost her best friend. She never dreamed of Athens again after that.

"Why didn't you tell me ?" asked Alexa in a breath.

Xena herself had difficulty keeping the tears at bay and what she saw in Alexa's eyes was not helping. She knew this look, her mother wore the same after learning of Lyceus' death. Betrayal. The warrior needed to wipe away this look from the girl's eyes. "Because she couldn't." The ruler was still fighting the urge to flee. "It's hard to build a life when everyone around you know you were the Destroyer of Nations' best friend at some point in your life. You don't know half the sacrifice you have to make to make them forget that." She said forcefully staring at the teen.

Alexa didn't understand where she was coming from. Misha seemed to see her struggle. She calmed herself up enough to be able to explain. "After the attack on Amphipolis, being Xena's friend was not easy to say the least. But i refused to stop supporting her. Later, when we started to hear stories about the Destroyer of Nations, i refrained myself. The people, they didn't understand how i could keep defending her." For the first time since Alexa entered the room, Misha found the strength to gaze at her old friend. "I gave up on you" she uttered ashamed.

"It was the best option. They would have questionned your state of mind or thought you were spying for me. No one can live in constant suspicion, they wouldn't have waited long before arresting you or worse."

Unfortunately for the ruler, Misha wasn't seeing thing like that. "I acted like a coward" she said turning her back on them, unable to stop her tears from falling.

"You survived !" Xena couldn't prevent her outburst, she didn't care anymore. She approached the woman forcing her to look at her. "I didn't fight back during Amphipolis' attack to see you get killed by the people we tried to protect."

The vehemence of the warrior stuck the women. Misha took in the scene, the words shared, their intensities and became conscious of the fact that tonight was the first time they were actually talking about the consequences of Amphipolis' attack. Years of building emotions, of unsaid things led them to where they were right now.

The significance of what was happening before her eyes was lost on Alexa though. This was her chance to have answers after all, she wasn't going to let it pass by her. "But you changed ! You became the Conqueror, you saved Greece !"

Xena shook her head at Alexa's exclamation. "'Conqueror' is just another term, i was the same person inside. I just put my focus on something bigger. Besides, it was too late for us." She glanced at Misha. "We had both chose our path at this point. Conqueror or not, our friendship was long gone."

Alexa was sad to hear that. But if she was being honest with herself, she couldn't imagine those two women as friends, even less as best friend. To her knowledge, they had nothing in common. But again, they were young when everything happened, probably around the age that she was now. She wondered if they ever saw each other since this fateful attack on the village. "When did you last saw each other ?"

Misha knew it was now on never. She looked at Xena with a smile Alexa couldn't remember ever seeing on her. "Fifteen years ago."


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer : I own Nothing.**

**Comments : I'm so sorry for the delay, this was definitely not supposed to happen, unfortunately work came in the way.**

**Thanks for the reviews and for the private messages.**

"Fifteen years ago." Alexa repeated mechanically.

Xena was refusing to look at the girl. She was doing her best to refrain her urge to strangle Misha. She hated what she was feeling, the anguish, the anger, all those disgusting emotions she felt when she was not in control. This was what Amphipolis has always been about. One foot in this gods forsaken village and she went back to her old self, the teenage girl emotionally immature who has no idea what she is doing.

Her instincts were screaming at her to leave now but she refused to listen. It was now or never. Surely she will be able to make them see that her decisions were necessary if not life saving at the time. So she made the first step and broke the silence.

"I was traveling back from the far east when i decided to stop here. No one knew about my visit. It would have ruined everything if someone had seen me in Amphipolis that day."

Alexa was feeling the story she was about to hear would change everything, for better or worse.

The Conqueror carried on with her tale, reliving the events. "I was a pretty good warlord back then but i knew i could be so much more. I started to make alliances, i built an army, quickly my name went around Greece. I had one goal, unite Greece and take my revenge on the Romans. But i did a very stupid thing, i became pregnant. I couldn't accomplish any of my plans with a baby on my hip. The child would have become a target, my weak point. I couldn't let that happen." She paused. "I made a choice. I decided to hide the baby where i knew she will be safe. Asking my mother would have been too obvious so i chose the only person i trusted."

Misha intervened. "I was married at the time" she started, her voice weak, the memories still painful. "After several years of marriage, i still wasn't with child. I looked for every remedy, nothing worked. We were disappointed, I felt it was unfair. After everything, the fate still wasn't on my side. I went through a very dark period even more than what i lived during Amphipolis' attack because i couldn't do anything about what was happening. That's when Xena came back. She asked me to find you a home. I didn't even think about it, i accepted right then to be this home." She looked up at Alexa with emotion "You save my life Alexa. I know it's a selfish thought but i'm thankful for Xena. I understand that you feel it's unjust but think about the fact that we all had your best interests in mind, protecting you was our first preoccupation."

Alexa was a mess, tears were falling non stop from her eyes. She was submerged by what she was feeling. She was trembling uncontrollably, she was fighting the urge to scream. "No no no" she managed to say shaking her head. "This can't be ! You're lying !" Misha tried to approach the girl wanting to reassure her but Alexa refused the attention. All her life had been a lie. Her biological mother prefered to give her up rather than be bothered by her mere presence. No wonder Misha never answered her questions about her parents. She couldn't tell her she was an unwanted child, what kind of person tell that to a kid ? The kind of the Conqueror apparently, power hungry people without a heart or a soul. Why make the trip here then ? What was it that she wanted coming here ?

She ran a hand over her eyes to wipe away the tears before speaking, looking straight in the eyes of Xena. "I was just a nuisance, an obstacle to your ultimate goal in life. You didn't want me, you gave me up !"

The warrior wasn't used to be talk to like that, but even though, she remained impassive. Her tone matched her composure.

"I had enemies. You wouldn't have survived long if i had decided to keep you with me."

"You could have changed your life !" The girl raged. "But that didn't even cross your mind right ? Your lust for power was more important than the child you just gave birth to. And you passed that burden to your estranged friend." She paused catching her breath, she was feeling betrayed and she knew who was responsible for that feeling. She turned toward Misha. "For years you let me gush stupidly about the Conqueror knowing full well who she was and what she had done. I asked you several times if you had met her, each time you pretended you never talked to her. You lied and lied and lied again !" Her outburst stunned the two women. Misha tried again to get close to Alexa but the girl took a step back, looking at her like she was a stranger. "I would have prefered you telling me my parents were dead !"

Misha didn't even have the time to react because Alexa ran out of the room as quickly as she could.

The two women stood there, alone in the room. Misha couldn't stop fixing the empty spot in front of her. "That's not how it was supposed to happen" she said, her voice barely audible. "You shouldn't have been so ... so ..."

"So truthful ?" Xena said forcefully facing the tavern owner. "We lied for fifteen years. I didn't come here to sugarcoat the truth." She saw the questioning face of Misha. "I tried everything to get rid of her. I didn't want her Misha. I even killed the woman who helped me give birth, i didn't want any witness."

Misha was horrified by what she was hearing "She can't know about that." She grabbed the Conqueror's arm. "Do you hear me Xena ! You will never tell her about that." She finished fiercely.

The Conqueror freed herself from the strong grip of her friend. "Don't you think she needs to know who i really am ? I am not the fantasised hero she seemed to have created." She stepped away from Misha, she needed to. She had to tell the whole truth to the woman, she deserved that much. "I could have come here sooner you know, since i put a foot in Corinth actually. But i didn't. Not once i thought about the idea of keeping her with me, let alone raise her. During those fifteen years i sometimes forgot about her, i even convinced myself that i had dreamed all of it." Even to herself this seemed tough but she couldn't change the facts.

"What changed then ?" Asked Misha quietly.

"I have everything i dreamed of. Greece is thriving, we're more powerful than ever. Even more powerful than Rome. And yet i can't shake off this emptiness." Xena sat down on the bed. "For the first time i have regrets."

##

Patrocle approached his Lord with caution. He could feel the woman was in a foul mood. "We are ready to go My Liege." He announced bowing.

The Conqueror nodded. She saw Liam approached her tentatively.

"My Lord." He bowed. "I wasn't expecting for you to leave so soon. I hope it is not a sign of displeasure."

"This is not." She looked at him. "If i was displeased you'd know about it" she finished.

The poor man visibly paled, he could not suppress a tremor at the look the ruler sent him.

The Conqueror didn't want to wait here any longer, she took the lead of the small party and took the route to the place she chose for her meeting with the Amazons. She was thinking about the last time she talked to the Amazon Queen. Years have passed since she last saw the fierce blond. The remembrance pained her, like it always did. She pushed the thought away though, it was not the time to be polluted by past feelings. _The past is in the past_, she told herself.

The village was far behind them now. They were moving silently, all too focused on their surroundings. That's when they saw a lonely figure coming toward them. The Conqueror recognized almost immediately Alexa. They passed each other, the girl was visibly surprised but quickly changed her composure and pretended to not be interested.

Her attitude though, wasn't to the liking of one of the Conqueror's soldier who recognized her too, he hollered in her direction. "Do you need someone to, again, tell you how to act in the presence of Greece ruler ? You were lucky the first time but you should know, many were punished for much less."

Patrocle was eyeing his Lord expecting her to say something. He didn't exactly know who this girl was but he guessed she probably was one of the reason of their trip here. Not seeing any reaction from his Lord, he took it upon himself to intervene. "Don't frighten the girl Draco."

But Draco didn't listen. Seeing the girl was ignoring him, he directed his horse and stopped in front of her. He glared at her, but Alexa didn't care about him, she just wanted to be as far as she could from the Conqueror. She tried to get round his horse but the soldier refused to let her and instead he deliberately collided into her. The strength of his horse made her fall on her knees.

"Now that's the pose we expect people to be in when in the presence of the Conqueror" Draco mocked. Alexa heard the men laugh. She was still livid from last night, her actual situation wasn't helping. She stood up and tried again to go round around his horse. This time he dismounted and grabbed her by the collar.

"No one told you you were dismissed."

She struggled to get free but the man's grip was strong. Her attempts made the men laugh even harder.

Draco was smirking. "You're full of energy. Maybe we should consider the option of keeping you with us, you would be useful during our travel. What do you think my Liege, should we keep her ?"

Alexa glanced at the Conqueror who seemed totally indifferent by what was happening. An irrational fear gained ground in her stomach. She had heard tales of the Destroyer of Nations warriors, of the women disappearing after the attack of their villages. What if she became one of those women ? After all she told the Conqueror yesterday that she would have prefered her dead, maybe this was payback for her insolence. These thoughts awoke something in her, she struggled even more and managed to crush hard the soldier's foot, she thought the pain would make him let go but instead he became even more angry. She closed her eyes when she saw him prepare to strike her, but nothing came. When she opened her eyes, her attacker was on the ground and the Conqueror was standing there staring at her. Without breaking eye contact the ruler adressed her second in command.

"Patrocle, keep going while i escort her back to Amphipolis."

"Yes My Liege" The man acknowledged.

Alexa wanted to tell her she didn't need anyone to get back to the village, especially not her but she froze. In those piercing eyes she could see a warning, what happened yesterday couldn't get out of the tavern. The night before, they were alone, no soldier, no title, no nothing but here things were different, she was in the presence of the Conqueror and her army, and the ruler had to act as such especially in front of her men. Alexa knew she had no other choice but to obey the ruler.

After mounting her horse, the warrior offered her hand to Alexa. The girl was surprised with which facility the ruler pulled her on her horse. "Hold on to me" Alexa did as she was told but refused to utter a word in the direction of the ruler.

Unexpectedly the said ruler was quickly quite tired of the silence. It was a strange thing to say because she usually was a woman of few words. While going to bed yesterday, she thought back at their conversation. She had to remind herself why she decided to come here in the first place.

"You should stay away from my men from now on, especially Draco he is not known for his compassion. Keep in mind no one knows who you are." She tried to keep an even tone, definitely not wanting to act as the Conqueror with the girl.

Unfortunately for the ruler, her companion was apparently stubborn. Not liking being ignored, she was about to make a remark when she heard Alexa, her voice faint and accusatory. "You thought that being the Conqueror you could come here and shatter my life. You're so used of everyone following your every whim. But i won't" she finished with force.

They were at the entrance of Amphipolis. The Conqueror stopped her horse, dismounted and helped Alexa do the same. The ruler stood in front of the girl, a frightening view for anyone who was this close to the woman but Alexa refused to look intimidated. She had to show the ruler she wasn't a naive girl who could be easily manipulated. She had to stand up for herself.

The ruler was surprised and quite pleased to see the teenager not faltering in front of her. "I may not be what you were expecting and the choice is yours to keep telling you stories about the identity of your parents or you can think they are dead. If you choose that i will keep away from your life, pretend we never had this discussion. You will go on with your life, and i will do the same."

Alexa stared at the woman a few feet from her. How could they be related ? Apart form their dark hairs they absolutely didn't look alike.

"You're leaving either way, i don't see how what i say will change anything." She said defiant.

"I'm just leaving for a day or two. When i come back we will have a proper talk." Alexa watched the warrior mount her horse not knowing what to answer or if she was even supposed to answer. Two days ago she would have been thrilled by the idea and now she wasn't even sure she wanted to be in the same room as the ruler. How ironic life could be.

XXX

Eponin was frantically looking around them, searching for every little suspicious moves.

"Relax Eponin." The Amazon was smiling at her companion.

"This is madness Gabrielle. Why did i even accept to do that !" The Amazon was really unconfortable with the situation she was in. When her Queen suggested she should go to the meeting alone to not arouse suspicion, Eponin genuinely thought she was joking. She should have known better. Gabrielle has always found an escort to be unnecessary, her suggestion shouldn't have been a surprise. To the Weapon Master relief, Ephiny firmly disagreed with their Queen's proposition. Unfortunately for them both, they didn't manage to convince Gabrielle to leave with a decent escort. Actually, the Queen thought one companion would be enough, but only because she thought a woman traveling alone would probably draw too much attention.

"You admitted yourself that no one would expect the Amazon Queen to travel dressed like a commoner and without an escort." Smartly commented the said Amazon Queen.

Eponin knew her friend was making fun of her. "This is crazy even coming from you."

Gabrielle sent her a smile. "Don't worry we're almost there."

Eponin choked on a breath. "You really think i'll be more relaxed once in front of the Conqueror ?"

The Queen looked over her shoulder smirking. "I thought you got passed that fear of her."

"I'm being serious Gabrielle. You haven't seen each other for years. You don't know how she's like now. Just be careful, that's all i'm asking for."

The Queen nodded. She knew Eponin was right. Since the signature of the peace treaty with the Centaurs, her relation with Greece's ruler became strictly professional. The letters were devoided of personal interest. After a few months she even noticed the Conqueror was not the one to write the letters anymore. Gabrielle realized then that she was just one ruler among the others. In spite of this fact, she insisted to be the one to personally write to the Conqueror. If anything she refused to forget their past together.

They finally arrived at their destination. Gabrielle's eyes went right away in the direction of the infamous but still so beautiful Conqueror. She approached not loosing the ruler from her sight. She smiled when the Conqueror acknowledged her.

"Lord Conqueror." Gabrielle bowed lowly.

"Queen Gabrielle." Simply said the ruler.

They were staring at each other, studying one another. After all those years, they were finally reunited.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer : I don't own anything.**

**Here we go again. ****Hope you will like it.**

The Conqueror remained stoic in front of the Amazon Queen. She was aware the young Queen was pleased to see her, Gabrielle was skilled for many things but hiding her emotions has never been one of them, at least not with her.

The Amazon Queen finally averted her eyes from the Conqueror and noticed the man standing at a safe distance from his Lord.

"Patrocle i'm glad to see you again" she said with a small smile.

"It's a pleasure to see you as well Queen Gabrielle" The man bowed. He always respected the woman. She was a fine warrior even when he first met her. It wouldn't surprise him if he was now unable to stand his ground against her even with his years of practice. When he first saw her spar, he remembered thinking that with the right training she would probably become a Hades of a warrior, she obviously had it in her blood.

Though at first glance the Amazon Queen seemed to be the complete opposite of his Lord, the two women were irresistibly drawn to each other. They had tried for a long time to ignore it to no avail. He had the honor of seeing them fight side by side and what he saw amazed him. They were so complementary it was beautiful to watch. The thought of what those two could accomplish together was frightening. They were the sword and its sheath, each one capable of being the one for the other. Each time in perfect symbiosis. Years ago known as the Destroyer of Nations and the Amazon Princess, today known as the Conqueror and The Amazon Queen.

"May I present you the Amazon Nation Weapon Master, Eponin." The Amazon bowed in her turn.

The Conqueror nodded at the woman. The last time she met with the Amazons, Cyane was the Weapon Master of Gabrielle's tribe. A talented warrior she would have tried to recruit for her own army if the woman hadn't lost her life trying to save her Queen, an event which propelled Gabrielle at the head of her own tribe. But this new Weapon Master wasn't of any interest for the Conqueror. No, what piqued her interest was the change she could guess of the Amazon Queen's body. Even dressed in those awful rags, well defined muscles could be seen. She had the body of a seasoned warrior, in the Conqueror's eyes she was truly beautiful.

She thought about the reason of such disguise, the two Amazons were not wearing any appropriate thing for such a meeting. Usually the rulers she dealt with were dressed for the occasion, it was a sign of respect for her as Greece ruler as much as the need for them to show their own status. The Conqueror was certain the Queen in front of her didn't even think about the idea of changing her clothes before their encounter. She never cared about status, something the Conqueror had always found irritating. The same could be said about her attitude regarding her own safety. The trouble she was putting herself into, the risks she was taking had always enraged the Conqueror. Unfortunately, even after all those years, the Amazon Queen seemed to have kept some of her old habits. The Conqueror wanted to say something about her lack of judgment, coming here without protection, this was foolish for a person of her rank but she reminded herself this was not her place. Though, she could voice her displeasure about her lack of manners, she was Greece ruler after all and even secret their encounter was an official one.

"I see you didn't have time to dress up" she said coldly staring at the Queen.

Gabrielle was not surprised by the tone. "We didn't want to attract anyone attention during our travel. I hope you will excuse our attire My Liege." Gabrielle responded with deference. She could not see Eponin but she was sure the woman was glaring at the back of her head.

The Weapon Master was stuck by her Queen's attitude. Amazons were not under the Conqueror's power, such deference was preposterous. She knew they were able to keep their lands only because of the Conqueror's leniency toward their Queen but they were a proud people and seeing her Queen behave like a mere subject was difficult to swallow.

Xena was momentarily stunned too, the Amazons were indeed collaborating with Greece Empire but they were a sovereign Nation, she was in no way their "Liege". Besides, they may have not seen each other for several years but one thing Xena remembered was that Gabrielle was not the submissive type, far from it. The ruler didn't like the game the Queen was trying to play, was she mocking her ?

She had to admit though that hearing Gabrielle use her title awoke an old feeling in her belly but she forced herself to push these thoughts away. She needed to focus, their past history could not interfere.

"I will excuse this _conduct_ of yours but only because I'd like to know why I had to travel all the way down here. I am starting to think Amazons don't know the way to Corinth." She remarked harshly.

This coldness again. The Amazon Queen barely managed to suppress a shudder. Even when writing to the Conqueror to ask for this meeting Gabrielle knew their encounter would be tensed, she had no idea that it would be to that extent.

"I'd like to discuss the matter of this meeting in private, if you may." The Queen requested gently.

The Conqueror was tempted to refuse. As much as the Queen was skilled with weapons she was even more talented with words, a thing the Conqueror always deeply admired. The demand though was probably justified. So she made a sign to Patrocle. The man left the Conqueror side to join the rest of his companions. The Conqueror looked up in the direction of the Queen's guard who wasn't moving. She understood why, the woman was obviously not trusting her.

"Don't you think your Queen capable enough to stand her ground against me, Amazon ?" she dared in all seriousness.

Eponin saw the look her Queen sent in her direction, a look every Amazons dreaded to see. She realized too late her action reflected poorly on her leader. Something the Conqueror didn't wait to jump on. Eponin bowed lowly before her Queen and gritted her teeth. "Forgive me my Queen". Before leaving she glanced at the Conqueror, the sight made her shiver. How could her Queen trust her ?

Gabrielle chose to stay silent. She was known to be a patient woman but the behavior of the Conqueror was starting to weigh on her nerves. She was aware the ruler was testing her. In the past she would have jump at the bait, but she was not the young princess Xena met years ago anymore. She was a Queen, she was ruling a Nation, she had to learn to put her personal pride aside. Today she could show Greece ruler that time has passed, that she changed and most of all that she had no regret. So she took a deep breath and looked at the Conqueror's piercing eyes.

"I am glad you took our request seriously."

"Are you suggesting i sometimes don't ?" Asked the Conqueror.

"It's just that you are usually not so quick to answer them." The Queen bit her tongue feeling her resolve faltering.

"You must have forgotten I rule an Empire, many are asking for some of my time. Amazons are hardly a priority." Pointed the ruler.

Gabrielle was caught off guard by the aggressive tone of the ruler. She refrained herself from voicing a sharp reply, she didn't want to antagonize the woman. This meeting wasn't about them, so much was at stake here, Gabrielle needed to act smartly.

The Amazon Queen again took a deep breath, knowing her next words will determine the future of her Nation. "An incident occurred a few days ago between us and the Centaurs." The Queen tried to choose her words wisely. The Conqueror was one the most brilliant mind she had the chance to come across, she had to be careful. "Unfortunately, this incident led to the death of both a Centaur and an Amazon." The Amazon could not see any emotion in the eyes of her counterpart, so much like the woman she knew years ago and yet so far from her also. She could not put her finger on it but she could see something different in those eyes, something which wasn't there before.

"I met with Kaleipus, we managed to avoid an escalation. He promised to soothe his companions, like me not wanting to see our Nations fight for nothing." She stopped her tale. "He confided in me. He's fearing for his kind. He seems to think an uprising in Centaurs territory is close, more voices are asking for an alliance with the Romans rather than what they have right now."

"What they have is freedom. Something Romans will never grant them. They were chased in the past, they will be chased again." The Conqueror didn't like where this conversation was going. Since the signature of the peace treaty between Centaurs and Amazons, the ruler made a point of staying far away from Amazon's affairs. She even put Patrocle in charge of dealing with the Amazon Nation. Being here in front of their Queen was hard, it was something she has managed to avoid for years and yet here she was, listening to the woman. She was surprised by the fact that even after so much time, the past was still so present in her mind.

"That was Kaleipus thought too." Acknowledged Gabrielle. "We avoided a war with the Centaurs, but we can't do anything to avoid one with the Romans. I had to convince the Amazon Counsel that I could diffuse the situation."

"You convinced them to ask me for help ? I see your bard side is still working." She commented with derision. The look she received from the Queen would have made anyone squirm, it had no effect on the Conqueror though. "Rome would never attack deliberately but organize a rebellion in Centaurs territory that would be genius. Many Centaurs were disapproving the terms of the peace treaty, even during its discussion, pretending Amazons were favoured at their expenses, so I am not surprised by the action. What is astounishing is that you didn't see it coming. Kaleipus is respected but he is old and Centaurs don't have another strong leader to put at the head of their Nation. If the rebels were to take the lead your Nation is doomed, Romans would have their revenge, I would fight the Centaurs and take my lands back. Of course the Centaurs would believe the Romans will come to their rescue, which they will never do."

"You're assuming we will lose against them." The Queen said strongly.

"Even if you win, you would have so much casualties your Nation would be on its knees unable to defend its frontiers. The Romans are counting on the fact that I would not let the borders in such precarious hands."

"So you think this is just a plot."

"Yes. Rome want to eliminate the Amazons, you humiliated them, plus in time of war you would be faithful to Greece. Getting rid of the Amazons and the Centaurs will send a strong message to Roman senate and to all the conquered. They want to show everyone the Roman Empire is still strong."

"What is Greece ruler stance regarding this issue ? The security of the frontier is at stake after all."

The Conqueror avoided the Queen's look. "A growing number of my Generals are suggesting for quite some time that Greece agreement with the Amazons should come to an end. Many rulers from conquered land don't understand why Amazons lands is not attached to the Greek Empire, like theirs are."

"The same could be said about the Centaurs."

"Centaurs land is useless. Letting them their land was a practical move, I didn't want them to create trouble."

"What about the Amazons ?"

The Conqueror looked straight in the eyes of the Queen. The Amazon was shocked by the intensity of the stare. "The fate of the Amazons is not of Greece concern."

Coming here, she knew Xena would not make this easy for her. "I came here because I want to avoid a war."

The Conqueror would have smiled at that if she wasn't so tensed. Her Generals wanted to have the Amazons under their thumbs but she always denied them this pleasure. She wanted the Amazons far away and this mess they put themselves in was not helping her case. "Then the Amazons fate is in your hands Queen Gabrielle. You can wait, fight back and potentially lose, not only a war but your Nation as well." She looked pointedly in the Queen's eyes. "Or you can yield and ask for Greece help."

The Amazon remained calm despite what was unfolding before her. A war, that was something she could deal with but this, this was not what she came here for. "Greece's help will not come without a price I presume."

"Only a protectorate can expect my protection." Said the Conqueror adamantly.

The Conqueror waited, she thought the Queen would be outraged by the suggestion. To her amazement the younger woman wasn't.

"Why now ? Why does the Romans chose to act now ?" Wondered Gabrielle.

"They thought it best to wait a few years, thinking that after enough time I will not care anymore about the fate of the Amazon Queen."

Gabrielle looked at the older woman. So much memories, so much happiness and so much hurt too. "Were they right ?"

Xena took a step forward, she wanted to make the woman understand. _The past is in the past, _she repeated in her head like an old litany. "I stopped caring from the moment you chose the Amazons over Greece."

XXX

Alexa was in her bedroom. Scrolls were laying in front of her. After the days she's had, she suddenly felt the urge to write, she needed to get her feelings out of her chest.

She hasn't shared a word with Misha since she left the tavern hurriedly after learning the truth about her relation with the Conqueror. She avoided the woman. With the lies she fed her, how could she trust her now. If she was being honest with herself, she would say that she understands. But she didn't want to give them any excuses.

Her time away from the tavern, away from Misha, away from everyone really, allowed her to think. She forced herself to think back at those fifteen years, she needed to put every one of her memories into context. The first thought which came to her mind was Cyrene.

Cyrene took them in when Misha's husband died, killed by bandits while he was working his fields, at least that was the official story. She had been too young to remember. But maybe that was a lie too. Nonetheless the woman offered a job and a roof at the new widow and her kid, for old time sake. Now that she knew about Misha's past with the Conqueror and her family, she understood why.

After everything the tavern owner did for them, how could Misha keep her identity a secret. Thinking that Cyrene lived five years without knowing the girl who was growing under her roof was in fact her granddaughter was overwhelming for Alexa. Cyrene considered Misha like her adoptive daughter, she gave her the tavern, she gave her everything.

She was so focused on her writing that she didn't hear Misha come in the house. The knock on her door surprised her. She didn't want to talk to anyone, she wanted to be alone. What she didn't know was that the woman behind the door was sick of the situation.

Misha came in the room without being invited. Alexa stubbornly refused to face her. The avoidance, this was the worst of it all for Misha.

The woman sat on the girl's bed and watched her. At first glance, you would not guess this girl was Xena's. What gave it off was the mimics, the look of intense concentration, the tight lips when angry or frustrated, the toothy smile when happy. Misha was seeing a fifteen year old Xena sitting in front of her, an innocent and so full of life Xena.

The remembrance pushed her to break this terrible silence. "Watching you grow up I couldn't stop myself from thinking about what your life would have been if Xena had chose to keep you with her." Alexa kept writing, Misha went on. "She wouldn't have given up her dream, I knew her enough to be sure of that. I tried to give you a normal life and when I see you now, I regret nothing. You could hate me for the rest of your life, it wouldn't change the opinion I have on my actions."

"I don't hate you." Said Alexa. "I don't even know what I am feeling." Misha could not bear the sadness she was hearing in the girl's voice. She got up to stand behind Alexa and put her arms around her neck.

"Your life is going to be different" The woman murmured.

"It doesn't have to be."

Misha moved from her position to face the girl. "Don't put aside what Xena can offer you Alexa, especially if this is only to get back at her. Believe me when I say you will be the sole loser." She had to make her understand.

"Because she doesn't care."

"No." She said shaking her head. "Because she has nothing to lose. You, on the other hand you have your life ahead of you. You might not realize it yet but life is a matter of opportunity. Don't reject her on false excuses or emotional ones. You can't sacrifice your future just because you disagree about the choices we made." Then she took the girl in an embrace. "Whether you like it or not, you are the Conqueror's daughter Alexa."

##

The tavern was empty except for the five persons sitting in the kitchen.

"Bandits." Affirmed one of the soldiers.

Misha looked at him. "Bandits ? On the day of the Conqueror's departure ? This is not a coincidence."

"It could be." Answered a second soldier. "Amphipolis was the target of violent attacks these past years."

"Yes but the Conqueror secured the area. It's been moons since the last one." Intervened Liam.

"Well it's bad luck for them to attack while we are here then" said one of the soldier. He looked at his Captain.

"Inform the Conqueror about the situation. Hopefully our sole presence will scare them away." Ordered the Captain.

"And if they're not ?" Asked Liam anxiously.

The Captain stared at him. "Then we will fight."

Misha scoffed at that. "Just the three of you ? You don't even know how many they are."

"We are trained soldiers, let us worry about that." Angrily replied the Captain.

But the tavern owner was not going to let them off the hook. "And I worry about the inhabitants of this village."

Liam felt the tension growing in the room. "Misha, I am sure they know what they are doing. Besides, like they said, upon seeing the colors of the Conqueror they will probably be too frightened to do anything."

The tavern owner wasn't so sure. Something was not right, she could feel it in her guts.


	6. Chapter 6

Misha went back to her house after her meeting with the greek soldiers. She was driven by an irrepressible need to find Alexa, she needed to make sure the teen was all right. She didn't like what she had learned. She had a bad feeling about the situation. But when she arrived home, Alexa wasn't there. It wasn't that late she reassured herself, the girl was probably reading somewhere.

Some months ago, Alexa discovered the personal library of Liam, since then she spent most of her time reading his scrolls. Misha was sure the girl had read them all by now.

Her love for knowledge unfortunately had an impact on her social life. She never had many friends, Misha tried to push her to open herself to others but with time she realized Alexa was not the difficult one. The other youngsters of the village weren't friendly with her, they were not mean but often avoided her and simply didn't reach out. Several times she saw the girl sitting by herself reading something while the other kids were playing not far away. Alexa always told her she didn't mind. Lately, she even insisted that she didn't want to pretend to be someone else just to be accepted. Misha realized that her current predicament was not going to improve her situation. Being the Conqueror's daughter surely won't help you make friends.

Alexa was way smarter than most teens her age. The girl often tried to appear tough but she was sensitive, way more than you would think at first glance. Misha knew that, she knew Alexa needed constant reassurance and comfort. Misha thought about Xena. She needed to talk to her about that, about what she should expect, to not be fooled by the persona the girl was trying to pull off. She wasn't certain Xena would care though, that was the main fear of the tavern owner. She had difficulty seeing the Conqueror as the maternal type. Alexa was still young, and she was used to have support, care and love. Misha doubted Xena could give her all that.

Alexa finally came home, her arms filled with scrolls.

"I hope this time you asked for Liam's permission to borrow them." Misha asked sighing.

Alexa jumped at the voice. "Don't scare me like that." Misha send her a small smile. "I thought you were going to stay at the tavern late tonight." Commented the teen.

"I wanted to see you." The woman answered gently. Alexa sensed the woman was not telling her everything.

"Did something happen ?" she asked with apprehension. Misha hesitated, Alexa saw it. "We said we would not lie to each other anymore." The hurt in the girl's voice convinced Misha.

"The Conqueror's guards were informed of suspicious activities close to Amphipolis. They think it's just commons thieves but ..." The woman didn't finish thinking suddenly it wasn't fair to worry the girl. Alexa though wasn't seeing things like that.

"But you don't agree with them."

Misha shared her thoughts reluctantly. "I don't believe it is a coincidence that they're seen mere hours after the Conqueror left the village."

"I heard that the Conqueror only took her personal guards to come here, they are the elites of Greece's army."

"I know. I just …" Misha stopped herself, not wanting to frighten Alexa. She was going to keep her anxiety to herself. "I just don't want anything to happen to you. Promise me that you will do what I taught you if they come here."

Alexa nodded at the seriousness of the request. "Run toward the hills and hide" she recited.

"Yes." Misha smiled and took the girl in a fierce hug. "Don't look back, even for me Alexa. Promise me."

"I promise." Alexa answered bitting her lip. She knew she was lying, she would not flee without Misha, never.

##

The tavern owner couldn't find her sleep. She decided she would be more useful getting a head start at the tavern. When she walked inside the tavern, the Captain of the Conqueror's guard was sitting with Liam. They looked up at her. Liam couldn't conceal his worry.

"Do you have any news ?" inquired Misha.

"They lost them." Informed Liam.

Misha was stunned. "How ?"

The Captain spoke up before Liam could say anything else. "They could have effectively been scared away when realizing Greek soldiers were here."

"Or they're hiding somewhere waiting to attack us !" replied Misha loosing her patience. She turned toward Liam. "We have to warn everyone."

"You will just create a panic !" intervened the Captain. But Misha ignored him and kept fixing her gaze on Liam.

"We don't have time to evacuate Misha. If you are right, people will be safer in their house, than out into the night."

"Three soldiers won't save us Liam."

Liam stood up. "The Conqueror will come to our rescue, we have to wait."

Misha turned back toward the Captain. "Where is the Conqueror ?"

"This is a secret information." He answered her.

"You can at least tell us how long it will take for her to come back here !" Angrily requested Misha.

The Captain hesitated but given the situation they were in he relented. "Half a day if they hurry."

Misha and Liam looked at him. "Almost a whole day if your messenger hurry himself." Noted Liam with distress. The Captain nodded.

Just then a guard rushed in, out of breath. "We have eyes on them."

##

Misha ran toward her house.

"Alexa ! Wake up !" She screamed effectively awaking the teen.

Alexa was surprised to see Misha rummaging through her things.

"What's happening ?" the girl asked concerned.

But the woman was not listening to her. She threw a few clothes at her "Get dressed." She ordered with hurry.

Alexa obeyed. When dressed she followed the woman in the kitchen. "Misha, what's happening ? You're scaring me."

Misha seemed to finally acknowledge the teen. "They're coming."

Alexa still half asleep had no idea what the woman was talking about. "Who is coming ?"

"Thieves, bandits, whatever you want to call them. They will be at the gates soon. You have to go now."

"You're not coming ?"

"I can't leave. They will need someone with healing skills."

"I can help too."

"No !" The woman shouted. "You do as I say. You go hide in the hills and you wait there. We will come find you when this is over. Trust me."

_We _? Thought Alexa. "_You_ will come find me."

Misha didn't look at the girl. She knew she could not promise her that.

"Misha !"

The woman faced Alexa. "Don't worry about me, i'll be all right." She tried to reassure. She pushed her outside the house. "You have enough food and water. Remember to not start a fire, no one can know where you are." Alexa nodded.

Before letting her leave, Misha took Alexa in her arms one last time. "I love you" she said with a crack in her voice. She finally let her go. Alexa looked at her with tears in her eyes.

##

Alexa was walking alone towards the hills. She was tired, her knees were scratched due to the constant tripping over who knows what. She knew the path but the night was moonless, she couldn't see anything. She decided to take a break, that's when she realized she was followed. She stood there trying to be as silent as she could, her heart racing. To her relief, her pursuers were merely women and children. Seeing them here could only mean one thing, they were ordered to evacuate the village. Most of them barely had time to put a coat on their shoulders. Children were still in their pajamas, some weren't wearing shoes.

Alexa stopped a woman. "Did you see what was happening ?"

"I … The village … they attacked." Stuttered the woman still in shock.

"How many were they ?"

"Too many." The woman looked at Alexa with hollowed eyes. "The Conqueror's soldiers, they requested the men of the village to fight with them. My husband ..." The woman bursted into tears.

Alexa looked back at Amphipolis with resolution in her eyes. She handed her bag at the woman. "There is food and water, a blanket too." The woman stared at her. "Don't start a fire or they will know where to find you." She repeated Misha's warning. Alexa started walking back to Amphipolis when the woman took her arm effectively stopping her.

"You can't go back, this is too dangerous."

Alexa knew that but staying here while Misha was risking her life over there was too much. She freed herself from the woman and started walking again.

Her walk turned to a run as she got more and more anxious. She couldn't feel her legs anymore. She slowed down once close to the village. She directed herself toward the tavern. Step after step she could see bodies and blood surrounding her. But what shocked her was the silence. Not a cry, not a word could be heard. It looked like the village was empty, she felt like she was all alone. She stood there in the middle of the road unable to move anymore.

"Alexa ?" Liam was standing there, his arms full of scrolls. She watched him walk toward her, dropping the scrolls on the dirty road. The sight offended her, the man was usually so neat. "Alexa what are you doing here ?" He saw blood on her legs. "Are you hurt ?"

But Alexa wasn't listening to him, she just wanted to find Misha. "Misha … where is Misha ?" she barely managed to utter.

"We need to look at your wounds." Liam said ignoring her question. He put a hand on her shoulder and guided her toward his house. When Alexa realized they were moving away from the tavern, she forced him to let go and walked in the other direction. But Liam stopped her. "You can't go over there."

"I want to see Misha, she told me she was going to help the wounded." She passed by him.

"I can't let you go in there Alexa." He said pleading. She crossed his eyes, she saw pain in them and sadness too. A sense of dread washed over her. She started running toward the tavern, not paying attention to Liam who was calling her name. Once in the tavern what she saw made her take a step back. The room was transformed, the tables were used to take in the seriously injured, on the floor were the lucky ones, those who survived with few bruises. She felt a hand on her shoulder, Liam was talking to her but she wasn't listening, too preoccupied by what she was witnessing. Alexa was searching the room for Misha when something caught her attention in the back of the room.

One of the Conqueror's guard was hunched over someone desperately trying to keep the person alive. Alexa was not far away from him when she saw another man halt the movement of the guard. The guard took a step back from the table and turned facing her. She saw the look of surprise on his face, his expression quickly changed to one of pity. "I am so sorry." Alexa wondered why he was telling her that. His body was blocking the view but when he moved himself to the side, she understood.

Misha was laying on the table, her dress covered in blood. At the sight, the girl couldn't suppress a horrifying cry. Liam was at her side in an instant, he took her in his arms. An eerie silence covered the place, the only noise coming from the sound of the girl's shrieking voice. Alexa's pain was washing over the whole room, no one dared to move, everyone too shocked by what they were the spectators of.

Liam had troubled keeping the tears at bay, Alexa was holding onto him with so much strength it was starting to hurt but he didn't care, he was not going to let go. He felt the girl choked on tears, gasping for breath so he pushed her away from his chest wanting to calm her down. He saw the look of grief on her face and it broke his heart.

Alexa had trouble catching her breath, she was suffocating. She tried to free herself from Liam but he wouldn't let her go. He was talking to her, telling her to breath slowly, telling her she was going to be all right, that she just needed to calm herself. But Alexa knew she was not going to be all right, because if she looked up she would still see Misha laying there, because even if she calmed herself Misha would still be dead.

XXX

"_I stopped caring from the moment you chose the Amazons over Greece."_

The last words of the Conqueror felt like a punch in the chest for the Amazon Queen. They chose to separate after that, knowing they wouldn't be able to talk to each other without animosity. They needed their space.

The night was about to fall. The Amazon Queen and her Weapon Master made camp far away from the one of the Conqueror. Eponin didn't dare ask questions. Her Queen was seething and she knew better than to inquire about what happened. Gabrielle went for a walk to calm her nerves, she managed to find a hidden pond in a remote area, such a peaceful place.

"How did you find this place ?"

Gabrielle jumped at the voice, drawing her sais from her boots.

Xena stood there not moving. "You didn't hear me I see. You lost your touch." She commented.

Gabrielle refused to respond to the taunt. Instead she chose to turn around and go back to her camp.

Seeing the Amazon leave, the Conqueror intervened. "Don't. I was leaving."

The Amazon watched the woman move and realized they were alone and at a safe distance from any guards. This was an opportunity she could not let pass by her. They needed to talk things out, once and for all. Despite everything, she could not forget the fact they were friends once after all.

"Wait" The Queen uttered. The Conqueror looked back at her. "What you said earlier, you made it sound like my decision was a surprise for you."

The ruler gazed at her. She played with the idea to play dumb and pretend to not understand what the woman was talking about. Unfortunately, like the Amazon, she was aware that it was maybe time for them to definitively put the past behind them. "I offered you to rule an Empire, with me at your side but you chose the Amazons. You chose them over us."

"Greece was never my dream Xena. Unify the Amazon's tribes that was why I fought for all those years. You knew that, you were there !"

"You chose to lie to yourself I see. Your Amazons were already unified long before the peace treaty with the Centaurs. When you had what you wanted, lands for your Amazons, you left. I was just a mean to your end." Finished Xena with disgust.

"Like I was for you. You really think you would have accomplished what you did so quickly without me ?" Challenged the Amazon Queen. Xena was obviously taken aback by the vehemence of the younger woman. Gabrielle took this at her advantage and went on. "I saw back then what was waiting for me if I was to stay by your side and i couldn't stand it ! I know i am not one to judge but i drew a line, never the one i love, to never be that monster with them. You had your demons Xena and i couldn't cope with them, especially not if i was to become your target." Gabrielle paused sensing she'd hit a painful spot. She waited to see what would be Xena's reaction to her words. When she saw the ruler wasn't going to jump at her neck to silence her, she went on with her speech. "When I took my decision, when I decided to join the Amazons for good, we had already lost each other. You're the one who is lying to herself if you think we were still an item back then. You didn't even stop me when I left ! You know why ? Because you knew we were just hurting each other by staying together. Accepting to rule the Amazon Nation was not a pretext Xena, this was me choosing to be the better man."

Xena was staring at the Amazon Queen visibly shaken by the truthfulness of the woman's words. She wanted to retort something but she heard someone approaching.

"My Lord" Patrocle said loud enough to be heard by them both. "A messenger arrived from Amphipolis My Lord."

That made the Conqueror tensed. "What does he want ?" She saw him hesitate not sure he could speak freely in front of the Amazon Queen. The ruler made a sign telling him to speak up.

"They caught sight of prowlers close to the village. The messenger explained that the Captain of your guard wasn't particularly worried but that he was questioned by members of the village." He paused waiting to see the ruler's reaction, when he saw none he shared his last bit of information. "He mentioned the tavern owner as the most vocal of them all."

The reference to Misha struck a chord. She felt she was reliving an old nightmare. "Tell everyone to ready themselves. We're leaving." The Conqueror ordered.

"My Lord ?" Patrocle didn't know how to react. "I can lead a small group toward Amphipolis to check on them."

"I am going to check on them myself." The Conqueror replied dryly. Patrocle bowed knowing it was no use to try to convince his Lord to change her mind. He was waiting for the Conqueror to lead the way back to the camp when he heard the Amazon Queen.

"I'm coming with you."

The Conqueror turned around facing the Queen. "This is not an Amazon matter." She said between clenched teeth. She had to muster all her self control to stay civil with the Amazon Queen since the beginning of their reunion but she could feel her patience getting to an end.

The Amazon felt the hostility but chose to ignore it. "It would be faster for you to just go my way rather than to waste time trying to convince me to stay."

Patrocle's eyes grew wide at the Amazon's audacity. He looked at the Conqueror expecting her to lose it but to his amazement the ruler just turned around and walked away without another word. The Amazon Queen saw the bewildered look on the man's face. "Even the Conqueror know you can't win against a bard Patrocle." She said winking at him.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer : I own nothing.**

**Comments : Thanks again for the reviews. I hope the story stays interesting. **

**As you probably guessed, Gabrielle and Xena have a lot to process. It will take time but they will get there.**

**And Alexa well ... let's hope she finds the strength to face the world she is about to encounter. **

The trip back to Amphipolis proved to be uneventful. No one dared to say a word, not even the Amazon Queen. The Conqueror's guards were tensed, they didn't know what they will be up against once back in the village. They had travelled all night long despite Patrocle's attempts to convince his Lord that it was madness. They couldn't see a thing, Patrocle didn't think it would serve them if half of the men were to break their neck before their arrival. But the ruler didn't care.

"Smoke." One of the guard announced pointing in the village's direction. The Conqueror didn't comment and kept going. She was the first one to pass the village gates, followed closely by Patrocle. She dismounted not far away from the Captain of her guard who bowed deeply. The ruler could see the bruises on the man's face and blood on his usually pristine uniform.

"What happened ?" She asked with authority.

The Captain got to the point. "A group of men attacked after nightfall."

"Thieves ?"

"They were too well organized to be mere thieves My Liege. Mercenaries more likely. We managed to capture one of them alive."

"Did he say something ?"

"We thought we would wait for your return to interrogate him My Liege."

She would love to do that but first she needed to make sure Misha and Alexa were all right. She made a sign to Patrocle who understood the ruler was putting him in charge of the prisoner. "Stay discreet I don't want to attract attention." She added as a second thought.

"My Lord." Patrocle acknowledged.

The Conqueror turned her attention toward the Captain. "Casualties."

"Women and children were able to evacuate safely" The Conqueror was relieved to hear that, it meant Misha and Alexa were safe.

"We had to ask for the men of the village to fight at our side. Some didn't make it." He finished sadly.

"Lord Conqueror." Liam was standing near them, "Forgive me for interrupting but … could you come with me."

"The Conqueror has better things to do Liam" said the Captain but Liam ignored him.

"This is about Misha."

The ruler's blood froze in her veins.

##

Alexa was sitting on the floor a few feet from the table where Misha was still laying on. She was hugging her knees to her chest. She could not stop trembling. She had shouted to everyone to let her alone, to let her be. She was hurting so much. She prayed to the Gods to let it all be a nightmare because without Misha she was alone, without her she had nothing.

She felt someone standing not far away, she was about to tell them to go away but when the person didn't stop at her side she looked up.

Alexa gazed at the woman who was standing next to Misha, all regal in her battle dress and armor, hairs in a ponytail, not a strand out of place. Alexa saw a shadow pass on the ruler face, her eyes went cold, the sight made her shiver. The Conqueror caught her staring, Alexa was surprised to see her expression softened when their eyes met. The exchange didn't last though and Alexa saw the ruler put her arms underneath Misha's body.

"No ! Don't … don't touch her." Cried Alexa.

The Conqueror turned her gaze toward the girl. "She deserves better than that" uttered the Conqueror as gently as she could.

"She deserves to be alive" whispered Alexa feeling new tears running on her cheeks.

The ruler stared at the girl finally realizing the state of the teen.

Alexa saw someone kneeling in front of her. When she moved her head up her eyes crossed the ones of the Conqueror. It was the first time they were standing so close to each other. Alexa was mesmerized by the blue eyes of the woman, eyes which could freeze you on the spot from fear or, like now, eyes which could make you feel safe.

"We will carry her home."

Alexa nodded. The Conqueror walked back toward the table and took Misha's body in her arms. Alexa followed close behind. People parted to let them pass, some stopped on their path astonished by the behavior of their ruler.

The Conqueror laid the woman on her bed. Alexa was standing at the entrance of the room paralyzed, not knowing what she was supposed to do. She saw a shadow hovering.

"I have asked for a bath to be prepared."

Alexa nodded again. She directed herself toward the bathroom were indeed a bath was waiting for her. When finished she joined the Conqueror. Two women and a few guards were standing next to her. Alexa didn't know the women, they looked like peasants, their presence here in the middle of army men was odd. The Conqueror took notice of her presence in the room and dismissed her people. One of the women lingered, a blond one with short hair. Alexa caught her staring at the Conqueror, she didn't know what she was expecting to see in those eyes but certainly not tenderness.

"Let me get a look at your wounds" The Conqueror said getting the attention of the girl.

"It's just scratches." Alexa disregarded.

Alexa saw the look on the ruler's face, a look directed at her. This was not a suggestion. Alexa sat down and let the woman clean up her wounds. To say the situation was uncomfortable would be an understatement. Alexa didn't know where to look, she felt her heart pound faster in her chest. She had to keep it together, she could not freak out now, not in front of the Conqueror.

"Do you have other injuries ?"

The girl shook her head. The Conqueror stood up.

Alexa turned her attention to the door of Misha's bedroom. It was closed but she couldn't tire her eyes away from it. "Do you know who did this to her ? Why did they come here ?"

The Conqueror froze, her jaw tightened, she clenched her fists. "I will find out and they will pay for what they did."

Alexa was taken aback by the chilling tone of the ruler. She didn't dare look in her direction too afraid of what she would see. A heavy silence fell on the room. The Conqueror was doing her best to push her emotions aside, she had to keep a façade. _For Misha, _she kept telling herself. She could not mess this up, not again.

"Food was brought earlier, you should eat." The ruler said. "I have to check things up, I won't be long." Not receving any answer, the woman took her leave.

Once alone, Alexa let out a breath, relieved.

The Conqueror walked toward the makeshift prison chose by Patrocle. It was outside the village, a perfect location if you were trying to stay away from unwanted visitors.

The Conqueror entered the barn and wasn't disappointed by the view. The prisoner was hanging by the hands on one of the barn's beam. His body was in poor shape, blood was dripping from one of his injury.

Patrocle joined her. "My Lord. It didn't take long to learn what we were looking for."

The Conqueror was not the least surprised. Patrocle had a knack to get informations out of people, one of his many qualities. "I'm sure you were very thorough."

"All I did was offering him a quick death in exchange of the informations we needed. I explained that if he were to refuse I would have to let him in your hands. He didn't think twice." He added with a smile. "Do you want me to get rid of him now ?"

"I will take care of that myself. Take the men with you, get some rest."

Patrocle looked at the woman, her eyes were glued to the prisoner. He could not remember the last time he saw this look. He glanced one last time at the man, _May the Gods have mercy on your soul and grant you a quick death_, he prayed before leaving his Lord alone with her prey.

##

Alexa was sitting in the grass staring at the view in front of her. There was nothing to see really but she needed the quietness. She knew a guard was close, order's of the Conqueror. She didn't mind, the man was discreet. She heard someone approaching and then felt someone standing next to her.

Alexa looked up and was surprised to see the woman from before, the blond one with short hair.

"Always be the best, my boy, the bravest, and hold your head up high above all the others. Never disgrace the generation of your fathers. They were the bravest champions..." recited the Amazon Queen. She looked down smiling gently at the girl who looked at her confused. She pointed at the scrolls next to Alexa. "You're reading Homer's work don't you ?"

"You know his work ?" Asked the teen puzzled.

"I know the man." Answered the Amazon wittily. "I'm Gabrielle."

"Alexa." The girl said timidly.

"I'm sorry about your mother Alexa."

"She was not …" She was going to say that Misha was not her mother but who was she kidding, the woman had been the closest thing to one. "Thank you. How do you know Homer ?" She tried to change the subject.

"We met in Athens a long time ago."

"Are you a bard ?"

Gabrielle took her time to answer, thinking carefully about it. "I was, at some point in my life. I don't know if it's true anymore."

"Now that you are at the service of the Conqueror ?"

"I'm not working for the Conqueror." Explained the Queen with a smile.

Alexa wanted to ask the mysterious woman why she was here then but she was startled by the sudden appearance of the ruler. "Lord Conqueror" she stammered bowing.

Gabrielle bowed too but with much less enthusiasm. The ruler barely acknowledged the Amazon and focused her attention on Alexa instead. "The ceremony will start at sundown. You should change." She said mildly.

The girl nodded and left the two women alone.

Once Alexa out of sight, the Conqueror turned swiftly toward the Amazon Queen. "Stay away from her. You will not recruit her."

"I was just being friendly. You're being paranoid. And even if I was ? She has no one, the Amazons can offer her safety and a family."

"She is not alone" said the ruler adamant.

"Are you telling me you will take care of her ?" The Conqueror didn't answer. "She needs more-"

"More than I can offer ?" The Conqueror challenged. "If you haven't noticed I rule half of the damn world, what can't I offer her ?"

"Affection." Answered the Amazon as a matter of fact.

"Oh yes I forgot the Amazons were specialized in that area. Everyone knows how affectionate Amazons can be" rebuked the Conqueror with venom.

Gabrielle couldn't believe what she was hearing, she didn't like what the woman was implying. "Don't make this about us."

"Not everything is about you !" Furiously stated the ruler. "This is about the woman laying dead inside this house. This is about the girl she raised without asking anything in return. This is about the fact that I should have been there to protect her. This is about the fact that because of me the kid became an orphan for the second time in her so short life !" The Conqueror paused, composing herself. She would not give the younger woman the satisfaction of seeing her lose it. "This is about the fact that you think you still have the right to insult me without consequences. Don't think that because i'm allowing you to be here, things are changing between us." She took a step forward, menacing. "Don't forget your place Queen Gabrielle or I will make you regret it."

"I'm not afraid of you. I never was, I will not start now." Calmly said the Amazon Queen not cowering under the glare of the ruler.

"You should though because what protected you back then can't protect you anymore." Answered the Conqueror coolly.

"I'm not one of your subject, you can't scare me to do as you please. We were friends before becoming lovers Xena. You have no idea how many times I've cursed the moment we crossed that line but even after everything I never thought we would get to this point. So no I am not afraid of you. Besides, you seem to have forgotten that I don't need protection."

"Is that a challenge ? Because I just left my prisoner, unfortunately he wasn't much of an opponent and I still have a lot of pent-up energy."

The Queen could feel it. She knew Xena was skilled to conceal her emotions but even after all those years apart Gabrielle could still read her. She could feel the rage pouring from every pores of the woman, she could see the pain in those clear blue eyes. But she knew those feelings were not related to them. So she backed off and started to walk away but stopped when a last thought came to her mind. "Don't keep it inside or it will eat you alive. Even Greece's ruler is allowed to grieve" she said keeping her back to the Conqueror.

##

People were gathered in the hills outside of Amphipolis. Funeral pyres had been installed. Alexa was standing not far away from the one's where Misha was laying. The Conqueror approached her with a torch to light up the pyre.

"I can't" the girl murmured shaking her head.

The ruler didn't insist and walked alone toward the pyre lightning it up herself. She moved back to stand next to Alexa.

Alexa was watching the fire spread, she could feel the heat and hear the crackles of the wood. Tears were falling from her eyes, a lump was forming in her throat, she wanted to turn away, to run from here. When the fire finally reached Misha's body, she choked on her tears and let out a strangle cry, she took a step backward but was stopped by a hand in her own. She turned her head to see the Conqueror's hand gripping hers. The ruler had her eyes fixed on the pyre, a solemn expression plastered on her face. She seemed to sense Alexa watching her because the girl felt her squeeze her hand.

Years later if someone were to ask Alexa what moment changed her life drasticly she would answer that it was the moment the Conqueror took her hand that day because in a split second, with this simple gesture, she understood that she will not be alone after all.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer : I don't own anything.**

**Sorry for the wait, i needed to write some kind of interlude to start the new installment. So this is it. It's a mixture of conclusions for the past chapters and introductions for what will come next.**

After the ceremony, the Conqueror walked toward the tavern with Alexa. The girl had expressed her desire to sleep in one of the tavern's room instead of her house. She didn't want to go back there, she thought she may never be capable to put a foot in this house ever again.

Their walk was mostly silent, the Conqueror was immersed in her own thoughts and Alexa didn't want to disturb her. Once at the tavern, the ruler finally adressed her, instructing her to follow her toward her room. Inside, Alexa found herself unable to shake off her discomfort. The boldness she showed after Misha's revelation, her need to stand up to the Conqueror, all that vanished. Now her mind was screaming at her to be cautious.

The Conqueror was staring at the teen. She took her time to get a good look at her. Apparently the girl had not inherited her height nor body. In fact, despite the black hair, they didn't share any physical resemblance. Alexa was much shorter and quite skinny. Brown eyes were staring back at her before quickly turning their attention somewhere else in the room. The Conqueror was aware of the discomfort of the girl, she knew what effect she could have on people. She realized the fear she enjoyed seeing in others, she didn't want to see it in the eyes of the young woman in front of her.

"You can sit down" she gently informed. Alexa complied. "I realize it is late and that you are probably tired but we need to discuss about what's to come. As you can surely guess, I'm needed in Corinth, I can't stay here much longer."

Up until now, Alexa stubbornely refused to seriously think about what her life was going to be like from now on. Misha didn't have any family left. The only decent future for her was linked to the woman she had in front of her right now. Alexa never knew why the woman came here in the first place, did she really plan to tell her the truth about their relationship or did she find herself stuck by Misha's revelation. Maybe she was feeling stuck now, maybe she felt forced to take care of her. The last thing Alexa wanted was to be a burden. She remembered the words of Misha about the opportunities the Conqueror could offer her, Misha seemed to be under the impression that the ruler wanted her to be part of her life now. But being part of her life and having to fully take care of her was two different things. The Conqueror surely never expected the death of Misha, so will this change anything ? Maybe she will bail, maybe she will again find someone else to do the job in her place.

"Did Misha tell you anything about why I came here in the first place ?"

"Not really no."

The woman sighed. She had counted on Misha to explain this to the girl. She expected the tavern owner to prepare Alexa. Now, considering the situation, she was hoping the teen would just go her way and not put much of a fight. She certainly didn't want their relationship to start on the wrong foot.

"I wanted to give you the choice to get out of here, to offer you a chance to be more than what was waiting for you here. I wish things were different but unfortunately the decision is not yours anymore."

"What do you mean ?" Asked Alexa not sure if she wanted to know the answer.

"It means that you will go back to Corinth with me." The words of the Conqueror didn't let much place for a rebuttal.

Alexa should have been outraged by the commanding tone of the ruler. She wasn't though. In fact she was relieved by the certainty of the woman's words. She just nodded in acceptance. "I have nothing left here. I don't want to stay, this is too hard" she added more for herself than for the Conqueror.

The Conqueror understood all too well. "We will leave as soon as you're ready then." Her words were meant as a dismissal, something the girl was apparently not used to because she didn't move from her spot.

"Will I be staying with you in Corinth ?"

"Of course you will."

Alexa could not look at the woman. "Will people know who I am ?" She managed to say out loud.

The Conqueror stared at the girl, taken aback by the line of questioning before realization hit her. "I would not ask you to be anything less than who you really are. I will not ask you to hide or lie. You will enter Corinth as the Empire's Princess, my daughter" she explained. "Your life will be far different, I hope you understand that."

"This doesn't scare me" she said with confidence.

The Conqueror heard the conviction in those words, hoping it will still be there once in the capital, Gods know she will need it. "You should get some rest." And this time Alexa took this as her cue to leave. Once outside, she was startled by the presence of one of the Conqueror's men, she remembered him from her altercation with the soldier named Draco, he was the only one who tried to talk him out of it.

"Miss" Patrocle saluted.

Alexa knew she should say something to him to not appear rude but she had no idea who this man was. Luckily for her he seemed to see her uneasiness.

"I am Patrocle, the Conqueror's second in command."

"Alexa" she simply said. She saw him smile at her.

"Have a good night Milady."

Alexa was about to correct him when she heard the door being opened behind her.

"I don't have all night." The ruler said impatiently to her second in command.

"My Lord" he bowed.

The Conqueror looked in Alexa's direction, "Did you need anything else ?"

Alexa shook her head, "We were just introducing ourselves to each other."

"You will have time to get acquainted, right now you need to sleep." The ruler waited to see the girl acknowledge her comment before entering her own room followed by Patrocle.

"Be quick" the ruler ordered.

The man nodded. "The men are ready to leave."

"I have a few things to handle before leaving."

Patrocle was not pleased by this. "Words of your presence here must have spread My Lord, i'm afraid our way back will not be safe. We should go back to Corinth as soon as possible."

"I hear your concern Patrocle. Believe me I would love to leave this place tonight if I could."

The man knew the reason for delaying their departure. "The girl ?"

"She comes with us." The Conqueror could see her second in command still standing in front of her, apparently deep in thought. "If you have something to say Patrocle, say it."

Indeed, the man had something on his mind. In fact, the thought kept coming back in his head since they put a foot in Amphipolis. Until now he didn't have enough proof to voice it. "Is she yours my Lord ?"

The ruler answered without hesitation, "Yes. As far as blood goes anyway. How did you figure ?"

"It is my job to know my Lord." This answer didn't satisfy the Conqueror and he could see it in her eyes. "I asked around. I learned the tavern owner was a childhood friend of yours and that she adopted the girl, no one knew from whom though."

The Conqueror was aware the man was not sharing his whole reasoning with her but right now she didn't care.

"Does the girl know ?" He asked curious.

"She does. Inform the men. I already put a guard with her but make sure it is clear that she is their priority during our trip back."

Patrocle nodded without enthusiasm. Sometimes he thought the woman was testing his limits. First, she insisted to come here with barely enough men to correctly assure her protection and now she was asking him to assure the safety of another person with several of his men still injured after the village's attack. He will not have a good night sleep until their return to Corinth. And on top of that, another matter was looming over their heads. A sensitive subject he wished will be handled quickly.

"What about the Amazon Queen ?" He saw the Conqueror visibly tense at the mention of the woman.

"Either she accepts our terms and put her Nation under my protection or she refuses and deal with the fact that her Nation might not be around for long."

"Queen Gabrielle is a proud woman, the Amazons are a proud people. We should prepare for the worst." Patrocle was doing his best to convince his Lord. He was aware of the less ideal relationship between the two women, he witnessed the aftermath of their separation, he even got in the middle of it.

"She won't let her sisters get slaughtered, not if she can do something to avoid it. Make sure to remind her of that."

"My Lord ?" He asked not sure of what she was implying.

Xena looked at him, "I have things to take care of, things more important than the Amazon Queen" she explained with finality.

##

After his meeting with the Conqueror, Patrocle sent word to the Amazon Queen inviting her in his quarter to discuss the signature of the treaty. The next morning, he received a message from the Queen asking him to join her during her training. When Patrocle arrived at the meeting place, Gabrielle was already practicing. He stood there watching the Amazon work with her staff, her movements were fluid and fast, the whole thing was beautiful to watch.

"Care to join me ?" She said to him while throwing a staff in his direction. He caught it easily and smiled.

"Getting lessons from the Amazon Queen herself, how could I refuse ?"

The Amazon smiled at him, "Let's see if you got any better since the last time we sparred General." Like her Patrocle never cared much about title. He was the General of the Empire army, a position many would kill to achieve but the man remained the same. The power of his function never went to his head, neither did his unusual friendship with the Conqueror.

They sparred for a while, the Amazon Queen was outclassing Patrocle but they both didn't care, they didn't have anything to prove to each other.

"I yield my Queen" the man finally said. It's been a long time since he fought a worthy opponent. For him it felt like fighting his Lord. Gabrielle stopped in front of the man, stuck by his words. He looked up seeing the look on the warrior's face, realization hitting him. "I'm sorry."

"No, please" she tried to brush aside. His words though sent her back to a past she desesperately wanted to put behind her.

Patrocle felt the need to explain himself though, "I meant it as a mark of respect, I hope you know that. Even if my oath is to Greece's Empire-"

"-Don't" she interrupted him. "You should be careful, I don't want anyone to question your loyalty."

"My loyalty toward Greece doesn't mean I put a cross on our friendship Gabrielle. It breaks my heart to see the state of your relations with the Conqueror. I wish I could do more but my hands are tied." The man reached for a scroll and handed it to the Amazon. "We are leaving Amphipolis at first lights tomorrow, the Lord Conqueror expects a signature before then."

Gabrielle didn't even look at the document. "I am the ruler of a sovereign Nation Patrocle, I think I deserve more than that especially considering what would be the results of the treaty. This is insulting." She was outraged but she didn't want to blame him for it, he was just following orders after all.

"I understand. Unfortunately as you can imagine, the moment is less than ideal. The Conqueror is dealing with the consequences of Amphipolis' attack."

The Queen nodded her understanding, an idea already growing. "You're right. We should wait for a more appropriate moment. I will wait to be in Corinth, the trip will let me time to think." Gabrielle saw the man was about to object. "I saw the condition of your Royal Guard Patrocle, we both know you could use another pair of hands."

He knew she was right, the Conqueror on the other hand probably won't see things the same way.

##

The Conqueror went back to her room after checking on Alexa. With the help of Liam, the girl managed to organize her belongings for her departure. The ruler was not expecting to only see the head of the village helping the teen. She thought the girl would have asked her friends to give her a hand but apparently the only one willing to help her was the old man. She understood what Alexa was implying when telling her she had nothing left here anymore. She had no friend and her only family was dead. She really hoped things will be different for her in Corinth.

When entering her bedroom she felt a presence inside.

"Who let you in ?"

"No one" casually answered the Amazon Queen without moving from her seat.

The Conqueror was already fed up by the attitude of the Amazon, "You can't invite yourself here !"

The furious tone of the woman was not alarming the Queen though. "I didn't have much of a choice since you do everything you can to avoid me" she commented.

The Conqueror walked toward her desk making sure everything was where she let them when she left candlemarks ago. "You do realize I have a thing or two to handle around here."

"Yes I do actually. That's why I told Patrocle I will wait for your return to Corinth to deal with our matter."

The ruler took a deep breath and looked at the Queen warningly, "If you think I am going to let you follow us all the way down to Corinth you're mistaken."

Gabrielle was skilled for many things, the most useful was, without a doubt, her capacity to read the woman she had before her. Right now, she could see the calm the woman was showing was just a façade, one misplaced word and the ruler would explode. "As the ruler of a sovereign Nation I have the right to choose the place where a potential treaty will be signed."

"Does this mean the Amazon Queen will put her Nation under the power of Greece Empire ?"

"If the terms suits me, I might, yes."

The Conqueror glared at the Amazon, "You already know the terms so stop wasting my time" she said tightly. "Go back to your Amazons Gabrielle before I send you there myself."

The Queen remained silent. The Conqueror saw her stand up, she thought she finally convinced the woman to leave but to her surprised the Amazon was not walking toward the door but toward the display of weapons carefully lined up waiting to be put away for the pending trip. She watched the woman take one of the swords, weighing it up. "I worked too hard to build the Amazon Nation, i'm not going to let it go all to waste."

The Conqueror barely heard what the Queen had just said. For a second she thought she was mistaken but when facing the woman, the sword in one hand, the ruler knew she had heard correctly. She couldn't believe the nerve of this woman.

"Is that a threat ?" She asked, deliberatly showing the weapon at her hip. Even the Amazon Queen could not stay indifferent at the sight of her chakram.

Gabrielle could see the dangerous stance of the older warrior. She knew what she was saying could send her straight to her death but she didn't care. She would sacrifice her freedom and her life for what she believes in. She approached the desk, sword still in hand.

"I've asked for your help because foolishly I thought you would care but I see your hatred is blinding your jugement. We had an ideal Xena, you're turning your back on it. For what ? To get back at me !"

"_You_ had an ideal, I had a mission." The Conqueror took her distance from the Amazon. "I should have your head for drawing a weapon in my presence." Those words had no effect of course, both knew all too well this event was unlikely to occur in this lifetime.

"I'm tired of you pretending that nothing happened between us. So if I need to threaten you to get a reaction, I will keep doing it" announced the Queen with defiance. "Our past isn't perfect Xena, i know that but i never wanted to forget it. It didn't prevent me from moving on."

The Conqueror didn't like what the woman was implying. "I moved on" she said pointing a stern glare at the Amazon.

"Did you really ?"

"Don't flatter yourself." The ruler responded bitterly.

Gabrielle put the sword on the desk, refusing to respond to the woman. "I have sent Eponin back to the Amazon Nation, she will inform our sisters about the evolution of our discussion."

"So the Amazon Queen is walking around without protection" the Conqueror said with triviality. "I will not ask my men to risk their life for you" she warned.

Fiery eyes were staring at her. "I didn't ask you anything, I can protect myself."

The ruler certainly was not expecting the younger woman to still be offended by questions about her capabilities. Everyone in their right mind would think twice before asking to challenge the Amazon Queen. But that didn't explain her careless behavior.

"I can protect myself but do you see me walking around unprotected ?" The Conqueror asked, looking sternly at the Amazon. "You're reckless and that's dangerous. If I feel your presence is putting Alexa in any danger, if you get in the way I swear you will regret it."

The mention of the girl picked the Queen's interest, "She accepted to follow you."

"That seems to surprise you."

"Not really. From what I heard she wasn't left with much of a choice. I'm more worried about the life will she have once in Corinth."

"Why do you care ?"

"I know how things are in the capital Xena. Without a title, without a powerful name, you're nothing" explained the Queen.

"That won't be one of her problem." The Conqueror saw the questioning face of the Queen. "I've already sent words to Corinth to prepare for the arrival of the Empire's Princess."

This information was not lost on the Amazon Queen. She knew Xena never took a decision lightly, this could only mean one of two things.

"The few times you shared mementos of your childhood with me you mentioned Lyceus of course but Misha too, the healer's apprentice. I remember you telling me she was older than you by a few years, that you met thanks to your several visits to the healer. She was an older sister to you and with Lyceus, she was the only person you blindly trusted. I know Alexa was not Misha's daughter Xena." The Queen witnessed the shifty eyes of the Conqueror, a subtle move but enough for the Amazon to confirm her suspicion.

The Conqueror chose to remain silent, the action pushed the Amazon to keep digging. Gabrielle was indeed desperate for an explanation. During their years together she never suspected the existence of Alexa. Between Amphipolis' attack and their encounter Xena was on the battlefields, how she managed to hide a pregnancy was beyond belief.

"How long since Lyceus' death ? I know you never came back here in Amphipolis since his death, not even for your mother. Once, I suggested that we come pay our respect, you exploded at me and refused to speak to me for days. And suddenly on your own accord and in secret you make the trip from Corinth. I've wondered about the reasons since I heard about it. What could possibly convince you to come here ? Or should I say whom ?" She paused waiting for a response from the woman, not receiving any she went on. "Hiding her in plain sight, that was crazy enough to work. You could have told me, we would-"

"-we would have what ?" Abruptly asked the Conqueror finally facing the Amazon. "Raised her together ? Please, did you take a look at our lives, we can't even be in the same room without screaming at each other" she finished daring the Amazon to say otherwise. "Alexa could not have hoped for a better parent than Misha. Thanks to her she had fifteen years of normalcy in her life."

Gabrielle took a step forward driven by the need to comfort the woman but she restrained herself at the last moment, remembering painfully the state of their relationship. The Conqueror saw the woman's hesitation, she was shocked to feel disappointed when the Amazon finally decided to step back and leave.

##

Despite the circumstances, most of the villagers gathered to bid their farewell to the Conqueror and her men. Alexa was talking to Liam, the man was trying to convince her to accept the few scrolls he was handing her.

"Just in case you get bored during your travel" Liam said smiling at the girl. Finally Alexa caved and thanked him by giving him a hug. He was surprised by the gesture at first but recovered quickly and took her in his arms. "Whatever happen Alexa, don't forget you have a home waiting for you here" he murmured to her. He felt her nod at his words.

The Conqueror was watching the scene, soon joined by the Amazon Queen. The two women stood there side by side in silence. Alexa finally let go of Liam and walked toward them. She wiped her tears before reaching the two women, wanting to keep a façade in front of the warriors.

"I am ready to leave" said Alexa to the Conqueror.

"Before we leave, I think proper introductions are required"

The teen looked unsure, not understanding the meaning of the woman's words.

"Alexa, I'd like you to meet Queen Gabrielle of the Amazon Nation. Queen Gabrielle, this is Alexa, Princess of the Greek Empire and my daughter."

Gabrielle smiled at the girl. Alexa on the other hand was simply gawking at the woman. The sound of the Conqueror clearing her throat woke her up. She looked up at the woman and saw the displeased expression on the ruler's face.

Realizing her mistake the girl bowed deeply before the Amazon, "Nice to meet you Queen Gabrielle."

"The pleasure is all mine Princess" responded the Amazon while slightly bowing.

"Queen Gabrielle will travel with us to Corinth" informed the Conqueror before mounting her horse. The Amazon Queen followed suit. Alexa stood there not knowing what to do. She saw Patrocle coming toward her with a horse.

"Princess" The General bowed before the girl. "His name is Snowflake" he said while handing her the reins. Alexa thanked him. Patrocle helped her mount her new horse.

She took her time to get used to her new acquisition. Once enough at ease, she turned toward the Conqueror, "I love him, thank you" she exclaimed with a big smile. The ruler smiled at the enthusiasm of the girl, pleased to see joy in her eyes for the first time in days. Before ordering her men to move, effectively starting their journey toward the capital, she looked one last time at Amphipolis' tavern promising herself to come back.


	9. Chapter 9

**Again thank you so much for the messages, you're great ! **

Alexa was still excited by the Conqueror's revelation about the identity of Gabrielle, she could not believe she had met the Amazon Queen, the thought bringing a smile at the girl's lips. She was thrilled yes, she was glad to be riding with everyone today but she was beginning to feel the roughness of the trip. Her legs were numb, the rest of her body was aching.

Since their departure from Amphipolis hours ago they had stopped once. The Conqueror warned them they won't be stopping until lunch now, something which could not come quickly enough for Alexa since she really needed to stretch.

She calculated that they must have left Amphipolis six candlemarks ago. Of course Alexa was used to horseback riding but she never travelled this long on a horse before. At least not without several breaks. She didn't complain, she just told herself that she needed to suck it up and keep going. She was riding along with the Conqueror and the Amazon Queen after all and she was certainly not going to be the killjoy of this party.

Noon passed and they were still riding. Alexa was hungry and tired, she was feeling extremely unconfortable now and could not keep from squirming on her saddle. On top of that, it was starting to get hot out there. She looked around her, wanting to see if she was the only one annoyed by the fact that they were not stopping as planned. To her disappointment she was.

Looking behind her, a sight baffled her. The Amazon Queen was in deep conversations with none other than Draco. And she looked like she was having a good time, she was laughing even !

Most of the Royal Guards had been nice to her, as nice as soldiers can be while on duty anyway. Some of them were ignoring her but Draco had been less than civil since their altercation. She thought, naively, that knowing who she really was would change his attitude toward her but she had to come to the conclusion that the man absolutely didn't care. Queen Gabrielle, on the other hand, was the center of his attention. Alexa was not an expert on attraction but she had two eyes and not much to do at the moment so she observed and realized that Draco, the man who tried to beat the crap out of her, had without a doubt a crush on the Amazon Queen. She didn't know much about Queen Gabrielle but she had a hard time believing a Queen would be attracted to a man like Draco. The soldier was crude and for Alexa he was the spitting image of what she thought soldiers were. Alexa was trying to picture the two together when the Conqueror finally called for a break.

The girl dismounted with precaution, she didn't trust her legs at the moment and didn't want to fall from her horse in front of everyone. Once sure that her legs would support her she walked toward a nearby clearing and laid down unceremoniously. She never would have thought that riding a horse could be so tiring, the animal was doing all the work after all. The trip had taken a toll on her, she felt herself fall asleep listening to the voices not far from her.

"Princess."

Alexa opened her eyes at the voice. One of the Royal Guard was kneeling at her side.

"You will feel better with this in your stomach." He said handing her a plate.

Alexa accepted the offered plate a little embarrassed by the attention. "You didn't have to" she said while coming to a sitting position.

The man smiled at the blush he could see on the girl's face. "Our Lord Conqueror put me at your service Princess, I am just fulfilling my duty."

Alexa frowned at this. "Oh I didn't know that" she would have liked to be informed. "I'm sorry, you must have worked hard to be a part of the Royal Guard. All that to end up with me."

It was the guard's turn to frown. "The protection of the Empire's Princess is not a drawback. I am honored to have the trust of the Lord Conqueror." He exclaimed in a firm tone. Alexa glanced at him wanting to see if she had managed to hurt the man but he was smiling at her and she smiled in return.

"What does your duty entails exactly ?" She asked curious.

"Mainly, keeping you safe Princess. I will be at your side every time you decide to leave the castle or when our Lord Conqueror feel my presence necessary."

"Every time ?"

He perceived her worry. He understood the fear and uneasiness, who would want a second shadow. "Do not worry Your Grace, the Royal Guard prime quality is discretion. You won't know i'm here."

Alexa was not convinced but it's not like she could refuse his presence. "I don't even know your name."

"My name is Sefu, Princess."

"Where are you from ?"

"I am from Egypt."

"You must miss your land."

He shook his head, "Egypt took too much from me. Greece has been my home for more seasons than I stayed in Egypt. I am greek in my heart Princess."

Alexa felt there was more to his story but didn't want to pry. They both ate together in silence. Alexa was watching the Amazon Queen out of the corner of her eye, she was talking with the Conqueror's men. Seeing the Royal Guards talk freely to the Amazon Queen, Alexa understood the woman was not a stranger to those men. The Conqueror didn't partake in the conversations, actually Alexa realized the two women had not addressed each other since they left Amphipolis. The ruler was not even among them during lunch. Her thoughts were disturbed by the sudden move of her personal guard who was standing before her.

"My Liege." He saluted.

Alexa turned around surprised to see the Conqueror standing behind her. She didn't even feel her presence. The girl was staring at the ruler trying to understand how the woman managed to creep up behind her without her knowing. Next to her, Sefu looked awkwardly between the two. He could see the Conqueror was waiting for the girl to react to her presence. The more the teen remained unmoving, the more Sefu became anxious for the Princess well-being. To the relief of the man, the girl finally woke up from her daydream, stood up and bowed before the ruler.

"I see you two made acquaintance." The ruler commented emotionless.

Sefu nodded at his Lord while Alexa remained speechless, a fact not lost on the Conqueror. She dismissed her guard and turned toward Alexa.

"How are you feeling ?"

"I'm okay"

The Conqueror shot her a look, doubtful at the statement.

Alexa caved under the scrutiny of the woman. "It's the first time I ride for so much candlemarks." Xena suspected that much. "I'll get used to it … eventually."

Not wanting to crush her mood, The Conqueror kept for herself the fact that what she was feeling right now would be nothing compared to the soreness she will feel tomorrow. Instead, she handed her a waterskin.

"The sun will shine brightly for the rest of the day. The heat will not make the trip any easier but if you stay hydrated you should be allright."

Alexa thanked her, happy at the ruler's consideration.

* * *

><p>Like the Conqueror had told her, the afternoon was barely bearable. Her companions didn't seem affected by the heat which pushed her again to hide her discomfort. Unfortunately for her, Sefu was not easily duped.<p>

"Do you want me to ask for a break Princess ?"

"No, i'm okay." She smiled gratefully in his direction.

The man nodded and retreated back. The Amazon Queen saw the exchange and was not as easily convinced as the guard. She galloped toward the front of the group stopping next to the Conqueror.

"We should stop to take shelter from the sun for a while and freshen up." Advised the Queen.

"If we stop every two candlemarks we will need a week to make it up to Corinth." Answered the Conqueror indifferent.

"Not everyone is used to these conditions Xena." Gabrielle said looking pointedly at the woman.

The Conqueror knew the Amazon was not talking about herself. As much as she would have liked to disagree, the Queen was right. They were on a schedule though and the ruler would feel way more relaxed if they could stick to it. Next to her, she heard Patrocle sigh, the man didn't like it either. Xena signaled for everyone to take a break.

The Queen, satisfied, went back at the rear of the group. She heard Draco curse beside her, he was looking at Alexa and he looked exasperated.

"You seem to have forgotten what it is like for common people to travel in such weather" commented the Queen.

"Maybe Xena should have waited 'til winter to travel. I'm starting to regret sticking with her for this trip. If I had known it was to babysit I would have stayed in Corinth." Draco glanced at the Amazon, a question nagging at him since he heard the woman was going to travel with them to the capital. "I know why i'm here but you, you could have avoided all this" he said pointing in the direction of Alexa.

Gabrielle watched the girl. Even with her attempts to hide it, the Queen could see the teen was having a hard time. "You know me, I do like my adventures" she answered lightly. Draco was certainly not the man she will trust with the real reasons of her presence here.

"Adventures surrounded by Amazons I could see the appeal" he said with a lecherous smile, "but you seem to have gotten rid of your attractive shadows, something I, for one, am deeply sadden about."

The Queen rolled her eyes, "I just didn't want them to be confronted to your kind Draco, that's all. The Gods know no one deserve that." She heard some guards laugh at her jibe, Draco grunted at the display and left the Queen's side.

* * *

><p>The night could not come quickly enough for Alexa. She felt anxious though, it was her first time in the wilderness. Misha was not an outdoor kind of person, they never went camping, The idea of sleeping outside surrounded by strangers was difficult to deal with for the girl. Though, she doubted falling asleep tonight would be a problem.<p>

To Alexa's relief, the sun finally decided it was time for them to get some rest. The group stopped before the night took its place. A camp was quickly built. Alexa honestly thought Greece's ruler would travel more fancily but again, she reasoned, she didn't really know the woman.

Alexa was mesmerized by the organization. She wanted to help but Sefu told her it was no use and that she should rest instead so she did just that. She turned her attention to a group of men building a fire, logs were organized around them. The Conqueror was sat on one tending to her sword while the Amazon Queen was sat on the opposite side reading. Alexa took a deep breath and walked toward them.

The Conqueror saw Alexa approach. The girl seemed tentative at first but eventually she made the last steps toward them and sat without a word.

Once the fire started, the men left the three women alone to go back to their duties. Not a word was uttered for long minutes until a loud sound erupted from Alexa's belly. Two set of eyes looked in the direction of the mortified girl.

"Sorry. I'm … hungry."

The Amazon Queen could not suppress a chuckle. "Don't be embarrassed, it's a miracle mine managed to stay quiet for so long."

Alexa was relieved to hear that, even more relieved when the Queen gave her one of her scroll, "It will keep your mind busy until diner is served" the Amazon told her.

The Conqueror shook her head slightly at the exchange before going back to her task. Silence wrapped them again.

Alexa glanced at the two women, sure now that they were deliberately ignoring each other. The Princess tried to remember what she knew about the Amazons. A community of warrior women led by a Queen where men were not allowed, that was about it. The Amazons were known to be secretive, most of the stories about them were more legends than facts. No one exactly knew where they lived. They had their own land, that Alexa was sure of. She also knew Amazons were Greece's allies, they fought with the Conqueror at some point so if they are allies why were they acting like that ?

Alexa glanced again at the women, thinking that maybe she should be the one to break the ice. Her resolve was cut short by the announce of diner, though. The Queen immediately perked up at the news. Alexa was dumbfounded by the sight, the Amazon looked almost childish, she was even more surprised to see the Conqueror smile a knowing smile at the Queen's reaction.

* * *

><p>Diner went by quickly, everyone was tired by this first journey of travel. The guards who could, went to bed. Soon Alexa was only surrounded by Draco, Patrocle, Sefu, Queen Gabrielle and the Conqueror.<p>

Draco was sharing a story of the past where she learned that in those days the Conqueror and Queen Gabrielle were fighting side by side.

"So here we are, the five of us, in this small town trying to remain unindentified when this warlord Damon show up with a bunch of men to demand the villagers to give them all their belongings. The man thought his newfound celebrity would allow him to just take what he wanted without lifting a finger." Related Draco.

Alexa was listening with rapt attention, eager to know more about their adventures. "What did you do ?"

"Queen Gabrielle here, tried to talk him out of it, he didn't bite and instead tried to recruit her. If I remember correctly he wanted you to become his new wife." He said snickering asking for the Queen's confirmation.

The Amazon turned her attention toward Alexa. "To his defense he acted like a gentleman, he knew how to woe a woman. Of course when I told him I was not interested he went back to his old self and attacked me. Warlord ..." She said rolling her eyes.

"Next thing we know, the guy is running away half naked from his camp crying like a baby. I don't know who were the most surprised, his men or us." Draco finished laughing.

"What did you do for him to react like that ?" Alexa asked the Queen.

Draco didn't let the Amazon time to answer, "Wasn't Queen Gabrielle doing, our Lord Conqueror here was the one who scarred him for life. What was the bastard thinking seriously ..." Before Draco could go on the Conqueror spoke up.

"It's late and we have a long day tomorrow" she firmly said.

The men took this at their cue to leave. Alexa stood up but didn't move on. She had no idea where she was supposed to sleep, Xena saw the hesitation.

"Sefu will show you around." Alexa nodded while Sefu bowed. They both said their goodnight before leaving the two rulers alone.

Gabrielle watched the girl and her guard walk away talking animatedly. "They seem to get along."

"A good thing considering the time they will pass together."

"I heard Alexa ask Sefu if Draco and I were together."

The Conqueror scoffed at the comment. The preferences of the Amazon Queen were no secret. Rumors were spread about the numbers of the Queen's conquests. The Conqueror knew those rumors were exagerated. Gabrielle always had many suitors though, even among her own men. She always knew Draco had a soft spot for the Amazon Queen but she also knew that Tartarus will freeze before the Amazon Queen accept to share her bed with a man.

The Conqueror had always been aware of the effect the Queen could have on people. When they became friends, Xena tried to convince the Queen to disclose her past relationships, something Gabrielle always kept to herself. On the other hand, the appetite of the Destroyer of Nations was no secret in Greece, something Gabrielle never commented on. Only when they became more than friends Xena got privy of part of the Queen's love life mostly because when they first shared a bed together the warrior discovered that the younger woman was far from a novice in the art of lovemaking. Xena was no novice either but she had to admit to herself that this petite woman probably was the best partner she had shared a night with. It was no surprise then that from that moment on she refused to spend even a single night alone.

"I will talk to her." The Conqueror didn't know what she will tell the girl, she certainly didn't want to disclose her past with the Amazon Queen but she also didn't want the teen to keep chatter about the life of the woman.

"I wasn't saying that as a reproach. It just got me thinking. I remember this time with Damon you know, defending the innocent, it was nice." The Amazon looked expectantly at her companion expecting a reaction, a comment, anything. When nothing came, exasperation filled the Queen, "You really want us to just avoid each other until we reach Corinth ? I saw the way Alexa looked at us, she knows something is odd."

"So what ?"

"So if you want to avoid unnecessary question, we could at least pretend to be civil with each other."

The look the Queen saw in the Conqueror's eyes startled her.

"Maybe I was not clear enough the last time we talked." Xena started, contempt lacing her words. "The night you told me you were leaving you put a final point to whatever relationship we had. You walking around like you do, pretending to be offended or even surprised by my attitude toward you, that makes me sick."

Gabrielle could see the ferocity in the warrior's eyes. She didn't look away, she could see the tension in the Conqueror's body, she could even feel it. But again she stood her ground. If she was not the one to push the issue, never will they broach the subject again, an idea unbearable for the younger woman.

"You never gave a second thought to our relationship. I became a sure thing for you, you were so certain that I will never leave your side. Naively I thought that with Greece finally united you will be satisfied but you went after Chin and Egypt and I knew then that you would never be satiated, that whatever the cost you would go after every pieces of land still free from Roman's power."

The Conqueror was doing everything in her power to not pounce on the woman. She knew the power of Gabrielle's words, she had seen many cower after a simple conversation with the Amazon, herself included. She should shut her up, she should just make her stop ! Instead she stood up and left the camp, signaling the guards to stay where they were. She knew Gabrielle was following her. Once far enough from the guards, The Queen grabbed the Conqueror's arm and forced her to face her, an action few would have dared. Gabrielle saw fury in the woman's eyes.

"I knew you Xena." The Queen started firmly. "Our relationship was never your priority. So don't pretend that i'm the only one responsible for our falling apart. If we were being honest with ourselves and with each other we will admit that we both worked hard to destroy what we had. We were not meant to work, I accepted it, why can't you do the same ?"

"Because I loved you !" boomed the ruler. She should have been afraid her outburst would attract the attention of her guards but she didn't care anymore. What satisfied her was seeing the absolute shock on the Queen's face. If the woman wanted the truth she would give her the truth. "I would have done _everything_ for you. I would have given up my life if I had known it would save yours. Everything I did was for you. Letting Cleopatra on the throne, Lao Ma in Chin, the Amazons, all that was for you because you cared and I just wanted you to keep looking at me like you were. Everyone else was seeing a monster but you never did." She took a breath before carrying on more calmly. "You made me fall in love with you. I let you enter my world, my life, my heart. I gave you my trust, something few people can brag about, and look at what you did with it. If you didn't love me anymore you could have said so instead of leaving like you did without giving a damn about what effect your decision would have on others."

"I was scared !" shouted the Amazon Queen, pain obvious in her eyes at the words of the woman in front of her. "I was scared of what I had become during the years at your side. This was not what I had dreamed of Xena. I was a bard for Gods sake ! When I started my training with the Amazons it's not by chance that I chose the staff. I wanted to be capable of defending myself but I didn't want to kill anyone." Tears were falling from her eyes, she let them. "But one day I woke up and I realized that I had lost myself. From this moment on I couldn't look at myself without disgust. I would have loved nothing more than share it with you but you seem to have forgotten what our relationship was like already. The moons before my departure were our worst moons together. I was more angry with you than anything else. Even when we were together we were just pretending. We fought more than we talked. I cried more than I laughed. We did things I never thought us capable of doing to each other. The truth is that I trusted your sword more than I trusted your heart. And I just … couldn't take it anymore."

Gabrielle stopped, trying hard to regain her composure. She wiped her tears and gently went on. "Leaving may have been a selfish move on my part, but at the time I wasn't seeing any other option. After a while I realized what I had done. I tried to reach out to you, when you declined my invitation for the signature of the peace treaty with the Centaurs I realized it was already too late. But I kept thinking that you just needed time. A moon passed and you stopped writing. Then you put Patrocle in charge of dealing with the Amazon Nation and the moons became whole seasons." Thinking back on this period of her life always made her heart clench.

A silence engulfed them both. They stayed there, thinking about each others confessions.

"Is that why you're here ? Because you wish to clear things up between us ?" The ruler could not contain the accusatory tone.

Of course, the Queen didn't let it pass by her and glared at the woman in return. "I'm here because I want my Nation to live in peace."

"But you thought you could use this opportunity to resolve our issues" pushed the Conqueror.

She didn't know why but she needed Gabrielle to admit it, she needed to hear her say it.

The Queen looked wistfully at the warrior wondering for the hundred time how their relationship came to this ugly point. '_Sometimes love is not enough' _she remembered reading, something she never believed to be true. Until Xena. This woman showed her what it felt like to be loved, they had been happy together, something they took for granted. Being with her these past days, Gabrielle realized how much she had missed her friend. "It's never too late to admit your mistakes like it's never too late to say sorry."

With these words, a weight was lifted from her shoulders, a door was opened. She could only hope she would not be the only one to cross it.


	10. Chapter 10

**Hello everyone, chapter 10 is long overdue. I got sucked in another fandom, i had a hard time getting out. **

**Thank you again for the reviews, those always make my day. **

The night was still covering the land when Xena woke up, sleep eluding her. Her discussion the day before with the Amazon Queen was still ringing in her head. Was she capable of letting the past behind her once and for all ?

The Queen wanted forgiveness. Could she give her that ?

Remembering their life together, she thought they were happy but Gabrielle was right, she never questioned their relationship. Being together, that was all that mattered for Xena back then.

Together they were unstoppable.

She never forgot, she didn't want to forget. What she had felt for Gabrielle changed her, something she tried to ignore, even bury. The way she was seeing the world had been different with the Amazon at her side.

She experienced love, she knew how devastating it could be but it made her who she was now. It took her years but she finally accepted it. Gabrielle showed her how wonderful it felt to be loved.

That's what pushed her to make the trip to Amphipolis. She wanted to turn her life around. She knew how to love now and she had someone to share it with.

##

"A messenger my Lord" Patrocle informed handing his Lord a scroll.

After her reunion with Gabrielle she requested a lenghty report from her men in Roman territories. Despite what she had told the Queen, she knew the Romans enough to be more than suspicious of their behavior. Amphipolis' attack and the prisoner's interrogatory only confirmed her thoughts.

"You were right" Patrocle added gloomily.

Indeed, she was.

"Should I fetch Queen Gabrielle ?" Offered her second in command.

"We will wait to be in Corinth to share our informations with the Queen." Patrocle wanted to argue with her before thinking better of it, an action not lost on the Conqueror. "I know your feelings for her Patrocle. We both know Queen Gabrielle has a way to make men and women question their loyalty. Should I be worried ?"

Genuine shock and hurt painted the man's face at these words. "I pledged fealty to Greece's ruler not to the Amazons. I certainly hope I never gave you reasons to doubt my loyalty. I just don't want us to forget that the Amazons are our allies, not the enemy."

"As long as you do not kid yourself on my intention." The man looked questioningly at his Lord. Xena glared at him wanting to make sure he understood where they all stood. "Greece prevails over the fate of Queen Gabrielle. Anyone who fails to remember that will be considered a traitor to the Empire."

* * *

><p>Alexa woke up with a start, her breath short. Since Amphipolis' attack her sleep was plagued by nightmares. She looked around, the sun was rising. The Royal Guard already cleaned up the camp, everyone was apparently ready to go.<p>

She took her time to regain some composure. Her need to freshen up, to clear her mind pushed her to move from her spot. Seeing her awake, Sefu saluted her before following her to the river. To her relief, the man understood her need for privacy and left her alone.

She took a few minutes to calm her nerves, breathing slowly to slow the pounding in her heart. Her body was aching from head to toe, part of it due to the journey the day before but not all.

Alexa looked at her reflexion in the river, not recognizing the girl she was seeing. She looked paler than usual, sad eyes were looking back at her, she looked … broken.

Images from her nightmare flooded her mind, Misha cooking in the tavern, laughing happily and then … death, terrified screams, blood and a body tossed aside like a ragged doll.

It made her heart ache, and again her breath caught in her throat, tears were spilling. A furious urge to scream took over. Maybe this was what she needed to get rid of the pain, she was about to succomb when she remembered where she was, with whom she was. _You're a Princess now, act like one !_ She clenched her teeth and suffered in silence, her tears washed away by the river's flow.

Unknow to her, Gabrielle was standing not far away, watching her. The Amazon Queen walked toward her, the look on the girl's face breaking her heart. It was like looking into a mirror. She had been this girl, the one who had lost everything, who had seen the worst, the girl who survived. She was younger than Alexa when Poteidia was raided. How many times did she wished she had been killed with the rest of her village.

Gabrielle kneeled down next to the girl, putting her arms around the small body wanting to let her know that she was not alone. Alexa accepted the embrace willingly, clinging to the Queen for dear life, her sobs now out of control.

"Just let it out" whispered Gabrielle and Alexa did just that.

They stayed like this for a while. Alexa's grip on the Queen never faltering. When the Amazon felt the princess was calm enough she extricated herself from the embrace but kept a hold of her hands. Hollow eyes were staring at her and Gabrielle's heart clenched at the sight. "I know it hurts, believe me I _know_. I won't lie to you Alexa, things will be tough for awhile. But eventually the pain will fade and one day I promise, you will woke up and you will be able to breath fully again."

Alexa shook her head, "I don't … I don't know if I can do it. Everything hurts. I don't feel anything except fear and anguish. Too much happened these past few days, I can't … I need time to deal with all this but no one is letting me this time. I thought that leaving Amphipolis will make things easier but I was wrong."

"You're exhausted. Once things settle you will have time to think."

"You mean when we will arrive in Corinth ?" Gabrielle nodded. "But that's what terrify me too. What if I don't blend in ? What if I do something wrong ? People will think badly of the Conqueror and I don't want to be a burden."

Gabrielle frowned at this. She was baffled by the similarity between them. Dealing with the grief for the death of loved ones while learning to be a royal, she had lived this herself, she knew how tough it was. She remembered the sleepless nights when she refused to close her eyes because she knew she wouldn't be capable of dealing with what she would surely see. She recalled the minute just after waking up when she would look around and not recognize her room in Potedia. For one minute every day she would forget, a minute of peace before the inevitable truth reclaimed her mind.

She also remembered the fear to disappoint, the inadequacy. A peasant girl with no skill expected to fill a role she was not destined for. She wasn't even an Amazon, even less a Princess. Many of her sisters thought she would give up but her pride saved her and the support of newly-made friends kept her going.

"You won't." Said the Queen with confidence. "There is no need to put so much pressure on yourself now. Right now you're here with us in the middle of nowhere, you don't have to pretend to be anyone but yourself. You are Alexa, not a Princess, not the daughter of Greece's ruler, _just_ Alexa. Take the time of this trip to know her. Not the Conqueror, not the ruler, just Xena. You will see you don't have to worry about what could happen. Because if there is one thing you should never doubt it's her will to protect you. She did it from the moment she chose to let you go."

"She gave me up because I was getting in her way !"

"She could have let you with anyone but she cared enough to choose the person she trusted the most to take care of you."

This made Alexa pause. Yes she wanted to hate the woman but this was not her, she never was capable of holding a grudge, she was trusting. So if there was a way, a chance that the woman cared for her from the beginning maybe she could do it, maybe she could love her.

"I just want you to learn to know her before making up your mind, to judge her for who she is. She is not the woman she was fifteen years ago." Gabrielle stood up and offered her hand to the girl. Alexa didn't hesitate to take it, grateful for the help. The smile she received in return warmed her heart. She stared at the older woman, the Queen she met only a few days ago, a woman she barely knew. Even though they were strangers, she could not shake the feelings she was starting to have for her. She felt safe in her arms and maybe it was her imagination but she would swear she saw genuine fondness in the Queen's eyes, fondness for her, the girl she also barely knew.

* * *

><p>The riding party was back on the road. Alexa kept close to the Amazon Queen, an attitude not lost on both the Queen and the Conqueror. Xena chose to keep quiet though much more preoccupied by what was looming over them.<p>

The atmosphere was oppressive. The heat of the day before was replaced by muggy weather. She stopped suddenly taking a look at her surrounding. Patrocle joined her followed by Gabrielle. Alexa stayed a little behind not wanting to intrude on whatever they were talking about. Deciding she should use every opportunity to relax her muscles she dismounted and started stretching her legs.

"We need to start looking for shelter." Exclaimed the ruler staring at the sky.

Gabrielle looked in the same direction, "That bad ?"

"Worse. The roads won't be safe in a storm and I don't want to be outside when this one catch up with us." The Conqueror answered seriously.

Just then a booming sound was heard, followed by a horse neigh. Everyone turned around to look in the direction of the cry to find Alexa struggling with Snowflake who appeared to have been frightened by the sound. Her attempts to calm the horse down weren't working, actually it made things worse. Seeing the precarious situation unfolding in front of them, Xena and Gabrielle both shouted at the girl to let go of the reins.

But Alexa ignored the command and kept trying to calm her horse herself. Too focused that she was on not getting herself killed she didn't hear the horse coming toward her. She felt a strong hand take a hold of her clothes in her back and felt herself being lifted off the ground, the surprise made her let go of her horse's reins. Once free Snowflake took off. Alexa watched as the guards pushed themselves out of the horse's way. Then she saw the Conqueror riding after the wild animal followed by Draco and realized she was on the ground again.

"What were you thinking ?" She heard a voice demand behind her, when she turned around she found herself face to face with a very angry Amazon Queen. "If Xena had not pushed you away, your horse would have trampled you !"

"I was trying to calm him down." Alexa tried but her words didn't convince the Queen.

"It got spooked, you made it worse trying to calm him down. That's why we told you to let him loose." The Queen added with a pointed glare, the same glare she had used so many times before with difficult Amazons.

Alexa looked away, properly chastised. She had to admit to herself that a furious Amazon Queen was a terrifying sight. She had seen the woman soft side, she didn't think she would see her pissed off side that early. To her relief, Gabrielle let her off the hook, having more pressing matters at hand.

"Find us shelter." The Queen said in Patrocle direction who nodded in agreement. She was tensed. The storm was close, they didn't have time to waste. Turning toward Alexa again she saw her rub her elbow, "Are you hurt ?"

"Just sore." Alexa watched the worried eyes of the older woman. It touched the girl to see the woman cared so much. "I'm okay" she added trying to reassure. Gabrielle nodded before leaving her side.

Patrocle was giving his orders when Gabrielle joined him. "The Conqueror and Draco will catch up with us, we need to keep going." She stated in full Queen mode.

The guards looked at her, caught off guard by her sudden change of attitude. Since the beginning of this journey, Gabrielle chose to stay in the background not wanting to step on anyone foot but now things were different, the urgency pushed her to take action. Patrocle was the one in charge but she knew he would not mind her stepping forward. The guards though waited for the man's concent before moving.

"You heard the Queen."

* * *

><p>Alexa was riding with the Queen. They kept quiet, a strange ordeal for them both. With Xena missing and the Princess in her care, Gabrielle was even more watchful whereas the Princess was mulling over what had happened. She knew what she had done was stupid, but at the time all she could think of was her need to prove she could take care of herself, that she was not just trouble. She felt so useless here, so out of place and the fact that she was surrounded by strangers was certainly not helping. On top of all that her forearm was throbbing, the more she let it rest the more she had trouble moving it, she could still clench her hand though which should be a good sign.<p>

Finally, Patrocle announced they had found a cave big enough to protect them and the horses. Not wanting to wait any longer outside, Gabrielle sped up and reached their refuge before the rain started to fall.

The storm was above them when the Conqueror and Draco finally joined the rest of the group, Snowflake securely behind. They were drenched. Gabrielle watched Xena, an unreadable look on her face, unreadable for most maybe but not for the Queen. She could see it in the Conqueror's eyes, the battle she was fighting to control her temper. Xena caught Gabrielle's eyes, they stared at each other for a second. The silent exchange reassured Gabrielle on the intention of the warrior.

The Conqueror was furious by the turn of event, running after a fearful horse under a storm and the fear she felt when she saw Alexa so close to being knocked down by the animal, the girl who refused to listen to her. If one of her men were to pull this off she would not hesitate to make him pay for it, but she could not do that to the girl. _'Be a parent, not the Conqueror', _Misha had told her. She may not beat the crap out of her but she could make sure something like that never happen again.

Alexa stood up the moment she saw the Conqueror at the entrance of the cave. Her stomach clenched when she thought of the imminent confrontation with Greece's ruler, the woman was not known to show mercy after all. But then she looked at the Amazon Queen and she reassured herself, the woman was not going to let anything happen to her, she was sure of it.

Her resolve faltered a bit when she saw the Conqueror walk toward her. Alexa gasped when she felt the woman grab her chin to force her to look her in the eyes.

"I don't know what you tried to accomplish but I will not accept such reckless behavior, not from anyone and certainly not from you. You put yourself in danger but us as well. So when I tell you to do something it's not a suggestion it's an order. You do as I say when I say it, do you understand ?" She asked coldly refusing to let go of the girl's chin.

"Yes" Alexa managed to whisper. The Conqueror's tone made her shiver, she would have prefered the woman to properly yell at her, it would have been less scary than what she was experiencing right now. The ruler let go of her but kept her in place with a stern glare.

"Pull a stunt like that again and being trampled by a horse will look like a much better option than what I'll have in store for you." Xena kept her glare firmly in place wanting to be sure the girl understood the seriousness of her words. "Are we clear ?"

Not trusting her voice, Alexa just nodded her head in understanding. When the ruler retreated back toward her men, the girl sat back down and discretely wiped away the few tears which started to fell on her cheeks. She didn't want to cry, not in front of those men.

The Conqueror was standing at the entrance of the cave, keeping an eye on the weather when she felt a presence behind her.

"You should dry yourself or you'll catch a cold" Casually said Gabrielle.

Xena kept her gaze fix outside, "You know I don't get sick."

The Queen sighed at the remark. "Maybe but it must be uncomfortable" she said while closing the gap between them. Gabrielle mimicked the stance of her companion, looking at the rain falling uninterrupted.

"What I find uncomfortable is being stuck in a cave."

_Uncomfortable and exasperating it seems_, thought the Queen. "Why are you in such a rush to go back to Corinth ?"

Xena turned toward her, an incredulous look on her face "I have an Empire to rule or have you forgotten ? What I don't understand is why you are not more worried about our delay, with your Nation waiting for your word and all."

"Us, out there in the wilderness means the Amazon Nation has at least one more day of reprieve before losing its freedom. How could I not be happy about that." Gabrielle's words were not meant to blame, the Queen was merely observant of their current situation and Xena understood.

Silence surrounded them, a comfortable one for once. When she first met Gabrielle, if someone had told her that someday this little woman would learn to keep her mouth shut for more than a few seconds she would not have believed it. And yet, here they were.

A smile crept up on the Conqueror's lips when the memory of a younger Gabrielle forced to keep her mouth closed after a pretty bad blow on the jaw came to her mind. The pain for such a wound was barely tolerated but what annoyed to no end the Amazon was her incapacity to talk. Forbid a bard to talk and you will know what Tartarus is all about, especially if the bard in question is the Queen of the Amazons.

At that moment, Xena made a decision she hoped she will not regret. "Alexa's horse is not safe and I don't want her alone on one until i'm sure the animal is well trained. Do you mind her riding with you ?" She asked the Amazon.

Gabrielle didn't even try to hide her surprise at the request. "Of course I don't mind."

This was what the Amazon was waiting for … a step forward. Xena was offering her something she had lost when she turned her back on them years ago. Trust.


	11. Chapter 11

**Ten chapters plus one. Hope you'll like it. **

**Tell me if the flashbacks are too much, i thought i'd try it but it can go either way. **

**And thank you again for the reviews, this is a really really nice way to get motivated. **

Unaware of the turmoil surrounding their situation, the Amazons went back to their daily life after the fright of a possible war with the Centaurs. Members of the Council kept their words and did not reveal the fact that danger was still looming over them. Questions were raised about the whereabouts of their Queen though. Pretexting a need for their leader to retreat in Artemis's temple was Ephiny's idea. The Regent hated to lie to her sisters but it was a necessary evil today. When Eponin came back without their Queen, Ephiny thought the worst must have happened and that everything was over.

The relief of learning the Queen was in fact alright was quickly replaced by dread and anger knowing that the Amazon Queen was traveling with the Conqueror. Letting a defenseless Gabrielle with the former Destroyer of Nations, it was foolish considering their history.

Upon thinking of the many ways things could go catastrophic for everyone, the Regent heard voices behind the door of the Queen's office. With Gabrielle gone, she found herself at the head of the Nation. She was confident in her abilities to replace her Queen but only for a short time, she was a warrior not a ruler after all.

The voices grew quiet and she heard someone enter without knocking, making the identity of the woman quite clear.

Unmoving, Ephiny kept her back turned at the newcomer. "Any word ?"

"Nothing." The warrior curtly answered.

She sighed, "You should have stayed with her."

Eponin's temper flared up at the hint of accusation in the woman's voice. "She's the Queen, I can't go against her orders Ephiny !"

"If something happens to her ..." Ephiny trailed off, trying really hard to not freak out.

"She knows what she's doing."

A silence lingered between them until Ephiny turned to face the warrior, worry clearly visible in her eyes. "Does she, really ?"

Eponin looked away. She was trying to convince herself that their Queen had a plan but, like Ephiny, she knew Gabrielle was capable of making rash decisions where the Conqueror was concerned. They were both well aware that this time, if something were to go wrong, the consequences would be devastating, for the Nation but also for their young Queen. And the Gods know Gabrielle has suffered enough for a lifetime.

"She's not the girl who needs protection from us, not anymore. She is our Queen, we have to trust her judgement." The Weapon Master was confident in her Queen's capability to defend herself, she was one of their Nation's best warrior after all.

"I never questioned her decisions, you know that. But we both know things usually become more complicated with Xena in the picture."

Eponin observed her friend carefully, knowing there was much more there than the woman was letting off. "Gabrielle is not yours anymore Ephiny", she finally voiced clenching her jaw.

The Regent's expression changed drasticly, worry swiftly replaced by anger and outraged. "It's not about jealousy ! Just because we are not together anymore doesn't mean I can't care for her well-being, as the Regent and as her friend. I can't believe you of all people would say something like that."

"Unlike everyone, _I'm_ allowed to have an opinion on all this."

Ephiny saw something in the woman's eyes she never thought she would ever see. Uncertainty. Without thinking twice, she walked toward the warrior and took her in her arms. "Gabrielle and I, it's in the past. You're the one I married."

"I know. It's just … I saw them look at each other and even after all these years, it was still there."

"What was ?" Gently asked the Regent.

"Love." Eponin broke the embrace taking a step back embarrassed by what she was saying. "It was not as obvious as when they first met but it was still there. Even after everything that happened between them they still love each other and they can't acknowledge it because they're … they're ..."

"Because they're idiots." Ephiny finished with a smile.

Eponin chuckled at the words. "Yes, that they are." Ephiny laughed too. "Watching them it strucked me that it was us at some point. It made me remember the time when I was in their shoes, when you were to become the futur Queen's consort and I was painfully aware of the fact that you would never be mine." The Regent flinched at the memory, it felt like a lifetime ago. What a mistake that would have been. The Weapon Master went on, "At the time I was looking at you like Gabrielle looked at Xena, with love … and with pain. And I thought about us, if something were to happen between us …" The fear was obvious in the warrior's eyes but she didn't waver and kept them straight ahead. "I could never live like that Ephiny, I don't know how they do it, how they managed to bear with so much pain all these years but I know I could never do the same."

Ephiny remained speechless, too shocked by the warrior's words. There were things in her life she regretted but breaking it off with their blond friend was not one of them. Eponin knew that, at least Ephiny thought she knew but apparently she was wrong. "Gabrielle and I ..." she finally tried but couldn't finish her thought not knowing what to say.

Luckily her lover understood her predicament. "I know. I never doubted you or Gabrielle. I love her as much you do. Seeing them just made me insecure. I don't understand how can you love someone so much and yet keep yourself from acting on it."

Ephiny could. She knew all about Gabrielle and Xena's relationship. She knew their separation was due to the combination of several factors. Relationship are complicated when you're a nobody but it's even harder when you're Greece's ruler and the Queen of the Amazons. Their sense of duty got in the way, their aspiration too.

_'She offered me the world Ephiny, and all I could think about was the price of it all. Greece will never be enough … _I _will never be enough …' _Those were Gabrielle's words, the first ones she shared with her after she left the Conqueror and came back here, and they were engraved in her mind.

Despite Eponin's words, Ephiny could see the uncertainty was still there, "It doesn't happen often thankfully but every time i'm reminded of the fact that I almost became Gabrielle's Consort at some point in my life, it always makes me pause because I always forget about it. Every time it's like someone is slapping me with this information. Neither of us expected it to go this far but I guess we forgot who we were. When words got out that the Queen and her Regent were sharing a bed, people became ecstatic. We were just looking for comfort and they were looking for a partner for their ruler. I don't know why we didn't stop this sooner." She said shaking her head sadly. "We never talk about it … with Gabrielle I mean. The last time we broached the subject was the night we decided to break up. We admitted to each other that we were not in love and that we definitely deserved better and then we went on with our life. After that we never said a word about it."

"And not long after she was standing next to you when we married."

"Yes she was." Ephiny smiled at the memory. "It should have been awkward." She added chuckling.

"But it wasn't." Eponin said while taking the Regent's hands in her own.

"No it wasn't but only because she refused to let it be that way. She made sure to make this day the best one of our life." Again, she took Eponin in her arms needing the comfort. "I just wish she could live it too. If someone deserves happiness it's Gabrielle."

"Then I think we should just let her work on it."

The Regent agreed. She will not stop worrying about her friend but Gabrielle put the Amazons before herself for too long, now she just needed to be selfish and focus on herself. So much time has been wasted already ...

* * *

><p>"It's like watching a wild animal in a cage." Queen Gabrielle said while staring at the restless Conqueror who was pacing the floor on the other side of the cave. She saw the disapproval in Patrocle eyes. "What ? You were thinking it too."<p>

The weather was awful, keeping them trapped in here. Xena started to lose her patience a candlemark ago, now it was the Queen's turn to be on edge. Thanksfully, she had Patrocle to keep her company.

"Maybe but I didn't keep my place at the right of Greece's ruler by saying out loud everything that comes through my mind."

"I'm a bard Patrocle, saying what comes through my mind is the essence of my work" said the Queen cheekily.

Patrocle liked seeing this side of the bard, being able to banter with her. He has missed seeing this twinkle in her eye meaning she was up to no good. Despite what's they've been through Gabrielle always managed to keep this childlike part of her alive.

"So you're a bard now ?" Wondered the man out loud, mocking.

Gabrielle sent him a look clearly annoyed that he dared make fun of her skills. Patrocle smiled at her. A wave of nostalgia washed over him suddenly. Memories of past campfires shared with the Amazon, the stories she would tell and the soldiers hanging at every one of her words. During their very first meeting, she introduced herself as a bard first and as the Amazon Princess second. Later she confessed to him that doing so kept her on her toes, she didn't want to forget who she was or where she was coming from. Her exact words were stuck in his mind, _'If i'm not a bard anymore, it'll mean I stopped being myself. Nothing is worth this sacrifice.' _He certainly wished he could have spared her the hurt. He saw the two rulers drift away from each other and he never said it to anyone but when the Queen left that day he feared for her and Greece's survival.

"Queen Gabrielle, the warrior bard." He proposed after awhile.

But the Amazon waved him off, unconvinced. "No no that's not poetic enough."

"Oh really ? Does Her Majesty has a better name to propose then ?"

Patrocle watched the Queen ponder his question, when finally he saw her eyes light up.

"The Battling Bard."

"Queen Gabrielle, the Battling Bard ?"

"Yes that's more like it."

"Well if Her Majesty is satisfied." Patrocle exclaimed with a mocking bow.

When Gabrielle left to go back to her Amazons, the Conqueror didn't direct her anger toward the world but toward herself, focusing on restoring Greece's past grandeur. But being the Conqueror for so long she forgot to be just Xena. The most powerful woman of the world was alone and it broke Patrocle's heart.

"How long are we going to pretend that there is not something wrong happening ?" Suddenly asked the Queen.

Patrocle stared at her, confusion clearly visible on his face.

"If we weren't with her she would have left already, storm or not. I'm sure she wouldn't even have stopped in the first place." She glanced at the man searching for any clue that her suspicion was true. "I feel that what's troubling you two is related to my presence here and if it is I have the right to know."

Patrocle remained stoic, "Empire's business is secret Gabrielle, even if I wanted to I couldn't tell you." He was a General in the Greek Army, he could not divulge sensitive matters, even to her.

But Gabrielle knew the man and more importantly she knew his Lord. They had been on the same side once, something they seemed to keep forgetting. Their habits, their flaws were no secret to her. No word was coming out of the man's mouth and patience not being one of the Queen's qualities, she leaped off her seat and walked briskly toward the Conqueror. She would not stand there while decisions were made without her.

The ruler saw the younger woman approach and tensed immediately recognizing the body langage of a furious and frustrated Amazon, she put on a hard face preparing herself for the outburst.

Gabrielle stopped a few feet away from the Conqueror, narrowing her eyes at her, "The informations your messenger brought to you this morning, were they related to the Amazons ?"

"What are you talking about ?" The tall woman asked confused.

"Your behavior ... I'm talking about your behavior since your received a message this morning."

"There is nothing unusual about my behavior." She tried feigning innocence.

"Oh please ! I spent years at your side, I know when you're hiding something."

"Really ?" She asked rising a perfect eyebrow, challenging.

And the Queen to respond with the same tone, "Yes really. You didn't try to ignore me today, quite the contrary in fact because you actually _talked_ to me without accusing me of something."

Their argument reached the ears of the youngest of the group. Alexa looked in the direction of the two women wondering what was happening. After ignoring each other, the Amazon Queen and the Conqueror were now arguing and watching their demeanor, Alexa could see this was serious.

She hated when people were fighting and it was even more true today. After everything that happened to her these past days she thought she deserved to have something positive in her life right now. She liked Queen Gabrielle and she'd very much enjoy seeing her again after this trip which could be difficult considering her actual relation with the Conqueror. Whatever happened between them it was in the past, it was not fair for her to find herself the witness of their squabble now. She needed to stop this nonsense but how ? While thinking about that, the Princess tested out, for the umpteenth time, the mobility of her arm but quickly stopped, her injury was cool now and it was beginning to be very uncomfortable. Glancing again toward the two quarrelling warriors, an idea popped up into her mind. Desperate times require desperate measures after all. On this thought, she got up and walked toward them.

The Conqueror was standing in front of the Amazon, arms crossed. "So i'm being nice and you find this suspicious. I thought it was what you wanted."

As for the Queen, she was pointing fingers. "You playing nice with no reason is what I find suspicious especially only hours after being plainly angry at me. We played this game already, don't think I've forgotten how you function Xena. You're being nice because you feel guilty and I want to know why."

The Conqueror was about to rebuke the Amazon Queen's accusation when she saw Alexa put herself between them. Gabrielle looked as surprised as she was.

Alexa stood awkwardly, aware of the two set of eyes studying her, silently asking the reason of the interruption. "My arm hurt" she said almost pouting. Like she anticipated, both women focused their attention on her injured self and quickly forgot about their argument.

The Amazon watched as Xena carefully handled Alexa's arm. The girl winced a few times while trying to remain quiet.

"I'm sure it's nothing, I can still move it." Reasoned Alexa flexing her hand to prove her point.

Piercing blue eyes stared at her, "I can't be sure of that if you don't keep your arm steady."

The exchange reminded Gabrielle so much of the girl's mother. The Great Conqueror was a wonderful warrior and a tough woman, no one would dare say otherwise. But Gabrielle had the privilege to see this tough exterior crumble behind closed doors. Xena was never sick but injured however … And Gabrielle quickly discovered that Greece's ruler was the worst patient anyone could have to deal with.

_The Amazon was trying to assess a pretty bad cut on Xena's thigh. Unfortunately for her the woman couldn't keep from fidgeting."Can't you stay still for a moment !" She finally erupted. _

"_You're hurting me !" accused the older woman."Why don't you let someone else do that, someone who actually knows what he's doing." _

_Gabrielle rolled her eyes at the jibe, "I wouldn't want one of your men witnessing their big bad warrior in chief whining because they got a boo-boo." _

"_A boo-boo ?! Are yo-OW!" She cried after a very painful movement from her self-declare healer. "You did that on purpose !" shouted the warrior, scandalized._

_Gabrielle tried to stay focus on her task but the warrior's attitude was beginning to become really frustrating. If someone had told her Xena was such a difficult patient she would not have proposed to help."I told you to stay still ! Stop acting like a 4 years old and let me finish." Her tone shut the older woman up for a whole minute at best before the Amazon heard a muttered voice._

"_It's not a boo-boo, a boo-boo doesn't need stitches."_

_Gabrielle looked up and couldn't suppress a smile at the sight in front of her, the feared Xena, arms crossed over her chest, pouting._

_The Amazon paused to enjoy this moment. "You're cute" she said with so much fondness it made the Conqueror blush._

"_Warriors are not cute Gabrielle." Xena uttered petulantly trying to hide her face._

"_Not all for sure but you are." _

_The warrior shook her head ligthly but smiled anyway, a special smile reserved only for Gabrielle. _

_The Amazon put the final touch to her work before focusing her attention on her reluctant patient."Here you go. Good as new." _

_Xena examined her thigh. Satisfied by the result she looked up at Gabrielle and with her most innocent smile she asked,"You're not going to kiss it better ?"_

_The Amazon did a double take, when she saw the warrior was serious, she rolled her eyes at the woman's antics before planting a gentle kiss on the bandaged thigh._

The childlike attitude, the goofing around was behind the hard façade. There was so much love behind that wall, a whole different person and it hurt to know that and not being able to see it. She could see Alexa was sharing the same traits. Like her mother she was hiding her feelings, wanting to keep people from worrying or prying, wanting to protect herself.

"It's not broken, probably just torned." Finally declared the Conqueror. Alexa watched as the woman retrieved a few items from her saddle. Handing her what seemed to be a scarf she ordered, "Here, the less movement the better."

"For how long do I need to keep it like this ?" The Princess asked looking at her immobilized arm.

"A couple of weeks."

"A couple of weeks ?" asked Alexa incredulous.

The Conqueror nodded. "It's your good hand, I don't want to take any risks."

"How am I supposed to travel ?"

"You will ride with Queen Gabrielle until we reach Corinth."

The Amazon flinched at the formality but kept her smile in place. The exchange was amusing her to no end, it was the first time she was seeing the two talk that much to each other. And Alexa was apparently not done with her questions.

"What about Snowflake ?"

"Too dangerous."

"And Sefu ?"

The Conqueror's temper was starting to flare up with Alexa's questioning. "I need all my men available to fight if need be and I don't want you in the middle of it. You will be safe with Queen Gabrielle."

Alexa had no doubt about that, she was just glad to hear the ruler admit it. Come to think of it, her bold interruption was not a so bad idea after all. Maybe she was not as useless as she first thought ...


	12. Chapter 12

**Hello ! It's been a while, i know. I will keep going with this story, i just don't have as much time as i did when i started it. **

**I hope you will like this new chapter. Don't hesitate to let a review, it's always nice to read what you think.**

Patrocle was riding at the head of the group with the Conqueror, carefully observing the woman's mood.

"If something happen to her Amazons knowing you knew all along about the danger they were in-"

"Her Nation should be in alert." She interrupted. "Besides, she's with us, she can't do anything for them anyway."

Patrocle looked behind him, making sure no one was eavesdropping on them before sharing his thought. "I'm sure Queen Gabrielle will go along with our plan if she knew."

The naivety of the man when the Amazon Queen was concerned was getting on the Conqueror's nerves. "Amazons only have their survival and the protection of their own at heart. Their Queen even more. She will never agree to this."

"Why letting her follow us to Corinth then if you never intended to deliver on your promise ?"

Xena wondered about the same thing. The old urge to protect the Amazon was definitely still there and she couldn't ignore it. She knew she should have forced the Queen to go back to her Nation rather than letting her stick around until they reach Corinth. Things would have been easier that way, hurtful probably but certainly easier. If her informations were correct, the Romans were planning a Centaurs attack on the Amazons for moons now. They could go for it within days, not nearly enough time for Greece army to be of any help. Upon hearing about this, she knew Gabrielle would travel back to her Nation and fight to the death to try to keep her Nation free.

"That way she will stay alive."

Patrocle studied his Lord thinking that he should try to change her mind. Crisis between Centaurs and Amazons always brought out the worse. Many deaths would occur and being the Queen, Gabrielle would be their main target. Survival couldn't be assured and it was too much of a risk to take for the Conqueror apparently. Patrocle understood the reasoning but it was an emotional one. Besides, it was not the Conqueror's decision to make. Queen Gabrielle fought half her life for her Amazons knowing that one day it could cost her her life, but she kept going anyway. So keeping this from her … it was the worst betrayal.

"She will never forgive you." Patrocle said somberly.

The Conqueror didn't react. She was well aware of the consequences of her decision, the price she would have to pay but whatever happened, whatever the cost she would keep the promise she made a long time ago.

_After a day spent of fighting, Xena and Gabrielle were relaxing in a hot bath, the Amazon Queen in the warrior's arms. Both exhausted, they took solace in the silence surrounding them. Gabrielle could still hear echoes of blades clashing together, something not uncommon for the Amazon. She always needed some time to get rid of the battle atmosphere. Today though, it was a little different, the gash on her arm a clear reminder of how close she had been from losing a limb or worst. If Xena had not stopped the blade … No, she couldn't think like that. The Amazon shook her head trying to forget her thoughts. She moved away from her very comfortable position to face the warrior. Tired questioning eyes looked back at her. Gabrielle smiled in reassurance and she saw the worry leave the deep blue eyes she was so in love with. And yet earlier, she feared what she witnessed in them, the pure hate and then the pleasure of taking a life, a hunger she expected to see with an animal but not with a human being. _

_Gabrielle took the warrior's hand in hers needing to keep the contact between them. "You need to promise me something." Xena waited. "If something were to happen to me …" She saw Xena was about to object and stopped her before she had time to say a word. "No please let me finish." The warrior nodded clearly uncomfortable."If something were to happen to me, no matter the circomstances, promise me you will keep going. For Greece, for the Amazons. Promise me you will not go back to your old ways." _

"_Nothing will happen to you Gabrielle."_

_The Amazon smiled a small smile."We both know you can't promise me that." _

"_I'll do everything to make sure you're safe, nothing will change that. I promise I will die before something happens to you. And if I can't keep my promise I will probably die anyway unable to deal with the loss." Xena said with so much seriousness, Gabrielle didn't have the heart to rebuke the idea. "You're stuck with me Amazon, I think it's time you get used to the idea." The warrior added reaching for Gabrielle's body. They shared a long kiss, both wanting to convey their love to one another. _

* * *

><p>On the road once again, the group was enjoying a much more enjoyable weather.<p>

It was definitely nicer to travel in this weather than the hot climate they had until before the storm. Alexa was riding with the Amazon Queen, the warrior was sitting behind her, keeping a firm hold on the reins.

The young Princess was very uncomfortable, she was tempted to let her arm loose from her scarf but knew it would not be wise to toy with the Conqueror's patience.

They were traveling for a candlemark or so and the Queen had kept quiet the entire time. Tired of the tight atmosphere surrounding them both and beginning to get bored, Alexa decided it was time to learn a bit more about the Amazon Queen.

"Do you think I could become an Amazon one day ?" Gabrielle was startled by the sudden question not expecting the girl to start a conversation. "Or do I have to be born an Amazon ?"

"I wasn't born an Amazon." Gabrielle answered right away.

"Really ? But you're their Queen, how can this be ?" Alexa asked her eagerness clear to the Queen, so much so that she had to strenghten her grip on the reins to keep Alexa from trying to turn around to face her and possibly fall off the animal. A soft tap on the thigh as a warning to stay still was all it took for the Queen to receive an apology from the sheepish Princess.

"I was a little bit younger than you are when I first met the Amazons. I was an orphan when I did, they took me in."

This was not what Alexa expected to hear. She didn't know a thing about Queen Gabrielle but she assumed the woman was born and raised in an Amazon village, she was their Queen after all. The fact that they shared something, even a tragic thing like this, made the girl happy. _She was an orphan like I am._

"How did you become their Queen ?"

The air around Gabrielle became thick as she remembered this fateful day, the memory still painful and fresh even after all this time. Tragedy happened, like so often in the Queen's early life.

"This is a long story, one not suitable to be told right now." Kindly explained Gabrielle. To her relief, Alexa didn't insist.

Once again, silence fall between them. Gabrielle looked in the Conqueror's direction, the woman was talking with Patrocle and she could guess their discussion was not welcomed by the ruler. Her study of the warriors was interrupted by her young companion.

"What happened between you and the Conqueror ?"

"What do you mean ?"

Alexa took her time to answer, she didn't know their story and she didn't want to say something that could get her in trouble. "I know a thing or two about her you know, i've heard the stories like everyone else."

Gabrielle sensed the change of mood, she could hear the sadness in those words. There was so much she didn't know about the teen, an odd feeling washed over her, a need to hear everything about the girl's life. Without noticing, her grip on her horse's reins strenghtened, closing the remaining distance between her and Alexa. The Princess relaxed into the embrace and leaned back against the Queen.

"I know your Nation helped the Conqueror."

"Not at first." Gabrielle took a deep breath. She knew she couldn't shut the girl out every time she asked a question. Honestly she was surprised Alexa waited that long to ask what seemed to be on her mind since they first spoke to each other.

"When I first met Xena, I was an Amazon Princess from one of the many tribes scattered in the world. At the time, the Amazons were the target of many attacks and our number were decreasing. I knew that if nothing was done the Amazons existence would soon be a distant memory. I was thinking of a way to reunite every tribe under a same banner and make us strong again as a united Nation. That's when I first met Xena. Like you we had heard about her but at the time she was known as the Destroyer of Nations. Imagine our surprise to see her stumble alone into our lands seeking for asile."

"What did your tribe do ?" Alexa asked mesmerized by the tale.

"Xena was known for her brilliant stratege mind so of course at first our Queen thought it was all part of a plan to destroy us."

"And it wasn't ?"

"Oh it was." The Queen answered with a soft laugh. "But she changed her mind. I think she realized that sometimes you have to rely on other method than crushing your opponent. During her time in my tribe, we became friends, unlikely friends but it worked. We both wanted to change things. We realized we were looking for the same things and decided that it would be easier together than alone. I fought at her side to reunite Greece and she fought at mine to build a strong Amazon Nation. People thought that my presence next to her was a proof that the Amazons were fighting at her side. The truth is that I left my tribe without Queen Melosa's consent, she didn't trust Xena and she refused to see her heir fight next to her."

"But you left anyway."

"Yes because I believed." Gabrielle looked ahead again in the direction of Greece ruler. She clearly remembered what she felt the first time they met, the words they said to each other. This moment was engraved in her mind and she cherished it. "I don't know how to explain it but I was convinced Xena was on the right path, that she was not the demon everyone thought she was. She promised to fight for Greece and its people and I trusted her words. I trusted her."

The truth was that Queen Melosa asked her to choose that day, between her sisters and Xena. After choosing the later, Queen Melosa told to her that she was not welcomed in Amazon land anymore. This should have been a hard choice, the hardest of her life, choosing between your family and hope, between your sisters and a future for them all. After all, Gabrielle didn't know what was waiting for her out there, if things were to not work out she would be alone. But then there was Xena, and thinking about the warrior made all her doubts vanish.

"You were friends but you're not anymore. What happened ?"

Gabrielle thought about it. It was a loaded question. So much happened and she didn't want to lie to Alexa but she couldn't be fully honest with her either. "After awhile we found ourselves to have different priorities." _I chose my Nation over your mother_, that was the truth Gabrielle couldn't share with the girl.

"Different enough to make you hate each other ?"

Gabrielle wanted to deny the statement but nothing came. Hate was a powerful word but she had to admit to herself that her relationship with Xena always had been extreme. They had said and done things to each other when angry the Amazon would never have thought possible. Gabrielle had never felt so strongly for someone and it had been unsettling.

One thing Gabrielle was sure of was that she would never love someone like she has loved Xena. But it was not her place to reveal this to the girl who obviously had no idea what was the real level of her and Xena relationship. This was no secret though and Gabrielle was sure that within a few days in Corinth Alexa would learn the truth about them.

"We made choices. I know what i've lost but sometimes you have to put your duty before yourself."

Alexa listened carefully both relieved to have the Amazon Queen confiding in her but also oddly frustrated knowing the Queen was not telling her the whole truth. She wanted to understand how someone like Queen Gabrielle could become friend with the Destroyer of Nations. The Amazon Queen was known to be a peacekeeper, how those two so different persons could befriend one another.

* * *

><p>The group stopped for the night. Diner was long gone and Xena was sitting on a log taking care of her sword in silence. Gabrielle joined her but not a word was shared between them. The Conqueror was keeping an eye on Alexa who was playing a game with Sefu. She knew the man would be perfect for the job but didn't expect them to hit it off so easily. She certainly didn't expect the girl to get along so well with the Amazon Queen.<p>

"She's getting attached to you. What happen when you leave ?" The warrior asked accusing.

The Amazon turned abruptly. "You're blaming me ?"

Xena refused to look in her direction.

"You're not even trying." Gabrielle said angrily. "You want to know what will happen when I leave ? You will just have to step in and do what you promised to Misha. You will take care of your daughter, you will protect her but most of all you will love her and you will show her that, everyday. She needs to know she's not alone, that there is someone out there who cares."

"I plan battles not playdates."

Gabrielle sighed. "Maybe you forgot how this works but I know you have it in you. You know how to love, I've seen it."

She forgot yes. She loved Lyceus, her mother, Misha, Gabrielle but to what end ?

Loving your child should be easy, a simple look and you should fall in love with him instantly. She never felt that way with her own child, a child she couldn't wait to get rid of. Things were different now, _she_ was different. She would make sure Alexa is safe but could she love her as a mother ?

She never wanted children. Even when she was sharing the life of the Amazon Queen, not once did she entertain the idea of starting a family. And Gabrielle never asked either.

"What are you so afraid of ?" Asked Gabrielle.

Xena didn't answer, too engrossed in watching her daughter. Her daughter … even saying it didn't feel right. Watching her move and stand there awkwardly trying to keep away from Sefu who was busy organizing the sleeping arrangement. And she remembered the girl in Amphipolis, nose deep in her scrolls, alone. She recalled asking Misha how old the girl was, not sure anymore after seeing her. She was seeing a child not a fifteen years old and it scared her. It scared her to see the girl looked so frail, so much different than she was at the same age. Misha insisted the girl was perfectly healthy and that she just didn't inheritate her mother's body shape. Her introverted side though was definitely Xena, something the said-woman denied forcefully but Misha ignored her. Her lack of social skills never was a handicap though, she was a warrior, her strength was enough, it was her best quality actually. Her body never betrayed her. But seeing the girl was lacking in those areas, she started to worry about what would follow. She hoped that what she lacked in body strength she could replace by her mental strength. And yet, the last days with the girl weren't that much reassuring and it was starting to frustrate the warrior.

"You told me you hated the person you became while staying by my side. How long do you think it will take for her to lose herself ?" The Conqueror asked still staring at the girl.

Gabrielle followed the ruler's look, her eyes falling upon Alexa. She would be lying if she said she wasn't worried, not of Xena's influence on the girl because despite what the warrior was believing she could be a great role model, she had been for her after all. She was afraid of the influence of others on the young Princess. Alexa has been sheltered all her life, Gabrielle saw the girl's sensitivity, her need to keep to herself. She also knew the girl was craving for comfort, something she didn't dare look for.

"What I said to you … it was unfair. You never forced me into anything. I chose my path."

Xena's grip on her sword tightened. "You got sucked into my world, you never asked for this."

"I always believed we influenced each other. I learned how to be Queen at your side and I taught you that love was not a weakness but a strength. I took a little bit of your darkness and you took a bit of my light." Gabrielle gently grabbed the Conqueror's forearm to make her look at her. "Don't let your past experiences get in the way, she doesn't deserve that."

_She doesn't deserve me, she deserves better … she deserves the best. _"I wish Misha was still here." The Conqueror uttered more to herself than to anyone else. " I didn't go to Amphipolis to become a mother, I just wanted to make things right. I wanted to, at least, give her something ... anything. How can I be her mother when I don't know anything about her ?"

"You could ask." Gabrielle said as a matter of fact. "It's all she's waiting for."

Xena knew she was right, she could just ask, it was simple. What was keeping her away ? Again she focused her attention on the young girl who stood still waiting for the guards to be finished. Only when Sefu gestured to her to join them did she move from her spot. "I should have thought about this more carefully. She seems so … childlike."

Gabrielle thought she would see disappointment in the Conqueror's eyes but if was worry she saw instead. They both knew the level of pressure the Princess' futur will entail. Gabrielle never felt so protective of someone, she could feel her guts tightened at the mere thought of tears on Alexa's face. If someone were to hurt the Princess …

"If you let me, I will be there. For her … For you." Strongly said the Amazon.

Xena looked ahead knowing that if she crossed the Amazon's eyes, she would cave. Her chest tightened at the thought of the Queen in her life again, which made her angry at herself, horrified to feel that even after all this time she was still so dependent of the Amazon leader. "Don't make promises you know you won't be able to keep."

"I'm not." She said kneeling in front of the taller woman not letting go of her arm. "We lost so much Xena. Don't you think this is our chance to make it right, to start over ? Don't you think we deserve it ? Because I do." Her words must have made her effects because deep blue eyes were staring back at her. "I miss you, I miss us." She said looking in the warrior's eyes, wanting the woman to see the sincerity of her words.

The past years came back to Xena's memory. Yes she missed the woman too, the companionship, she missed having someone who understood her, the unconditional support ...

Breaking their eye contact, the warrior looked over Patrocle, the man stared back. She knew he wouldn't approve what she was about to do but she didn't care. Was it selfishness ? Maybe. But if she were to feel something again, even for a little while, then it was worth it.

"What we had … we can never get it back. But start over, I can try." Green eyes suddenly lightened up, warming the warrior's heart. "I will try."


	13. Chapter 13

**It's short i know. I wanted to write a one on one between Xena and Alexa. I promise the chapter 14 will be a little bit longer and posted this weekend. Thank you so much for your last reviews, you're awesome !**

Sometimes when she closed her eyes she could see her young self, parading before her men, full of confidence, full of herself really. Truth be told, she missed her days as a warlord because today if she were to choose to leave Corinth even for a day, she needed guards and a place to go. She gained power but she had to give up some of her freedom in return. Was it worth it ?

Sometimes she just wished she could leave her life, her duty only for one day and just be Xena. She could only dream of a simpler life where she could be fishing all day long, where she could take one day at a time without having to worry about what tomorrow will throw her way.

Yes she dreamed of what could have been, of what ifs because sometimes … sometimes she was remembering the little girl growing up in Amphipolis, loved and cherished by her mother and brothers, the little girl who only dreamed of adventures without thinking she would lived them one day. It was only dreams and dreams don't usually come true. But things were never like it should have been for Xena. Her dreams turned out more true than she would have liked, some turned into nightmares, nightmares haunting her for so long that she thought she would never see the light again.

But eventually she did.

* * *

><p>"You stayed in the water long enough, it's too cold to linger in it."<p>

Alexa turned toward the owner of the voice and looked curiously as the Conqueror was knee deep in the water staring into it. The Princess wasn't sure if the comment was directed to her but chose to do as if it was the case. She was beginning to freeze out there anyway.

She carefully stood up and walked toward the shore. Even with all the care she put in trying to keep her clothes dry she cursed to herself when she realized she managed to get them wet anyway. She sat down on the grass under the sun to dry herself, her eyes focused on the warrior.

Maybe it was due to the fact that she was exhausted or because – for the first time since leaving Amphipolis – she managed to feel relaxed but being here alone with the Conqueror wasn't awkward at all. She thought it would be when the older woman told her she would accompany her to the river but on the contrary, it felt right.

Although she didn't know why the ruler was staying immobile in the water since they got here, she didn't care. It was the first time since their encounter that they stayed so long alone together. Just looking at the woman entertained her. Granted, they barely shared a word but it wasn't important. What was, was the fact that they could be in each other presence without it to be forced, they were comfortable and it surprised the Princess so much that she had to remind herself a few times that she was alone with the Conqueror, Greece's Ruler.

Her mother.

She was someone's daughter. So many years spent wondering about her origins, all that to finally discover who she was. Or at least a part of it. Nothing had been said about the identity of her father. Who was he ? Did he know about her ? Was he even still alive ?

There were still so many things she didn't know, things she would have to ask at some point but not right now because for now she just wanted to enjoy the peace surrounding her.

So she remained her watch over her companion. This tall dark woman, feared by so many - herself included - who gave birth to her fifteen years ago. A woman she should call 'Mother'.

The anger she felt when learning about the truth of her birth was still there, deep down. But as the days passed, it was replaced by something else, a sense of belonging. It was ridiculous she thought, considering she knew the woman for just a few days but nevertheless it was there. At first she followed because she didn't think she had another choice but now she knew she would follow her anywhere willingly without thinking twice. She was finally understanding how Queen Gabrielle could give everything up to join the Conqueror in her journey. Because, like her, she had faith in this woman.

Bewilderment took hold of her thoughts when she saw the warrior plunged her hands into the water and remove a fish from it. Her bemusement didn't stop there though because to her horror the ruler threw the fish in her direction probably expecting her to catch it but instead Alexa let out an unladylike screech while scooting away from the scaled intruder.

"Scared of a fish ?" The Conqueror asked, amusement evident in her voice.

Alexa looked up offended, "I'm not scared. I just … it's just ..." she stammered unable to explain herself. She saw the smug look of the Conqueror, the woman was clearly making fun of her and it irked her. "It's squishy ! That's disgusting."

The warrior let out a laugh at the girl's words. "That's something you get used to. Never went fishing I suppose ?"

Alexa took her time to answer, her mind frozen after hearing the woman laugh for the first time since they got together. She shook her head both to clear her mind and answer the question at the same time. "I don't remember seeing Misha fishing, i'm not sure she knew how to."

"She was not an outdoor type of woman, never was. But she knew how to catch a fish and hunt. I often forced her to follow me, she learned without wanting to. It was far from her favorite pastime though."

Alexa was listening carefully. She didn't know much about Misha's childhood, this was part of the things that was kept from her. "How was she as a teen ?"

"A smartass." Answered the warrior.

Alexa smiled at the jab. "She always avoided to talk about her childhood, I often wondered why. Now that I know and with everything that happened, all I want is to know more about her life. So can you tell me ?" she asked hopeful.

With the expectations she could hear in the girl's question, Xena felt an obligation to answer. "She was strong and confident. She was the older sister I wish I had." _She was family. _"She never let anything or anyone stop her. She always dreamed to be a healer. When she asked to be the healer's apprentice, they laughed at her. They said she better find a husband rather than a job. For weeks, each morning she was at the man's door and each morning he refused to let her enter. But she never gave up." No, she never did. Whether it was about her dreams, her friends or family, giving up always was out of the question for Misha. She was a fighter. "A moon passed and the healer couldn't take it anymore. One morning she showed up and he allowed her to enter but only to clean up the place. It went like this for another moon until the winter came." Alexa listened captivated by the warrior's tale. "People got sick and it quickly got too much for the healer. Without asking she started to help. The morning after the last patient left the place, she thought she would go back to cleaning duty but when she passed the door, the healer was waiting for her with a clean apron and a set of tools and they started working together. You have to understand that at the time, women were not allowed much especially in small villages like Amphipolis. She went against every odds, she was a model for girls like myself. She told me something I never forgot. _'People are not the one keeping you away from your dreams, excuses are.' _She showed me I could do whatever I wanted and be whoever I wanted. I certainly wouldn't have dared anything if it wasn't for her."

The day she decided to give her child to Misha was the first time since many years that she made a decision for the benefit of someone else and not only her own. At the time she wasn't even aware of the woman's trouble to conceive. If someone deserved to be a mother it was Misha and she was glad she - at least – managed to give her that.

And after a single day spent together, it strucked her how much of Misha she could see in the girl. "You're so much like her." The warrior said taking a step toward Alexa.

Alexa looked in the woman's eyes, what she saw unsettled her. The usual hard look was replaced by a much more softer one, one from which was transpiring something she couldn't believe she would see in the woman's eyes … love.

"Do you see something of you in me ?" Alexa asked timidly.

Xena again heard the hopefulness in the girl's question. "You shouldn't hope to share anything with me."

"I've lived most of my life wondering about who my parents were. Who you were. It's just … I think I just need to feel that I belong and if we have something in common, it would mean just that." Years waiting to hear those words, waiting to hear she was a part of someone. She didn't want to get all emotional on the warrior but it was hard to keep the tears away. What she wouldn't give right now to hear the woman tell her she reminded her of herself as a young kid.

Xena tensed at the request, she shouldn't feel threatened but she couldn't help it. The girl was asking a simple question but it already was too much for the ruler. Should she lie ? Or she could refuse to answer, she knew the teen would not dare insist on the issue. Xena knew the girl was overly cautious around her. At first she thought it would play at her advantage, keeping her in line would be easy then but she also wanted to see the girl she met in Amphipolis, the girl wasn't afraid then. For everyone sake, she needed to trade carefully here.

"We crossed two Empires and several Kingdoms together. We fought armies, made friends with nomadic tribes in the East. We fought the cold and the hunger together. For nine months we kept each other company." Xena looked up and stared directly into Alexa's eyes. "I gave birth to you, that's what we share and that's something no one could ever take from us."

Despite her strong will to keep it together, the ruler's words were so touching that Alexa didn't have the strength to stop the tears from falling on her cheeks. She felt a hand gently wiping them away. When she looked up she was met with a pair of emotional deep blue eyes and a sad smile. Without even thinking about it, Alexa closed the distance between them and fell in the warrior arms and with her good hand clutched the fabric of the woman's dress preventing her from breaking the embrace.

Not that Xena would have. Indeed, like it was the most natural thing in the world for the ruler, she accepted the hug, encircling the girl protectively and only let go when she felt the girl had calm down.

"We should go back." The warrior said while grabbing their belongings.

Alexa followed the woman back to camp but stopped at the edge of it, her behavior didn't go unnoticed as Xena turned around eyeing her curiously.

"Thank you." Alexa simply said with a shy smile. She received a nod in answer, it wasn't much but it was enough.


	14. Chapter 14

**There ! Enjoy ! And don't hesitate to let a review, those will always be welcomed :)**

It was nightfall and the group hadn't stop for the night yet. When the young Princess asked why, the answer she received made her anxious.

Corinth was close, they would be there soon.

She was relieved to know that she would be standing on her two feet soon, she had had enough of riding already. But not knowing what to expect once in the Capital was unnerving. She always had trouble dealing with the unknown and everything these past days was foreign to her. How she wished Misha was with her right now, she would reassure her that everything would be alright.

"Look ahead." She heard Queen Gabrielle say behind her.

The Princess did as she was told and as soon as her eyes focused she gaped at the sight. In the distance, a thousands of lights were breaking the night. From her point of view she could only see a part of Corinth but it was enough for the girl to be blown away. The closer they got the more the Princess could see of the city. It was bigger than everything she had imagined, she couldn't even see the limits of the Capital City and wondered if she would have any time to explore all of it. In the distance, the Princess could see what seemed to be a gate but to her surprise they didn't ride toward it. Instead they took a turn moving away from the city's walls.

"The Conqueror has a private entrance leading directly inside the stronghold." Explained the Amazon Queen answering her unasked question. "Entering by one of the main gates in the middle of the night would cause unnecessary trouble."

Alexa was about to voice her disappointment to not be able to get a first look at the city tonight when she saw the guards slow down before her and Patrocle dismount. She didn't know what they were waiting for but Queen Gabrielle didn't stop with the rest of the soldiers and guided their horse closer to the head of the group until she was directly behind the Conqueror. Patrocle finally reappeared and the gate, much smaller than the one they passed earlier, opened. The Conqueror entered followed by the Amazon Queen and Alexa, soldiers all around bowed at the newcomers.

As soon as they entered Queen Gabrielle was helping her get off the horse and people were almost immediately caring for the animals. Everything was moving very fast for the young Princess, she barely dismounted that she was asked to follow the two rulers and a man she didn't know but who seemed to be in charge in some way. The Conqueror was in a deep conversation with him so Alexa walked a little behind not wanting to intrude. They passed an insane numbers of huge corridors and stairs before finally entering the biggest room Alexa had seen in her life. But they didn't stop and kept walking instead. A few more corridors later and they entered another room, a much smaller one than before but still big enough to contain a huge desk and what she guessed was a salon in the back.

The Conqueror stood at the desk still talking with the same man. "Make sure everyone is informed, we will discuss the details tomorrow."

"Yes my Lord." He said before bowing to the Conqueror.

The Conqueror directed her attention toward the Amazon Queen, "I'm sure you will agree to wait for tomorrow to discuss the treaty ?"

The Queen nodded simply in assent.

"A room has been prepared for you" the Conqueror said to Alexa. "It will do until you choose one for yourself. Nikolas here is in charge as the Castle's superintendent, he will show you around. If you need anything you ask him. I called for the healer, he will take a look at your arm before you go to bed." The young Princess looked between the ruler and the man, not sure if she was supposed to say something. The Conqueror saw her struggle. "We will talk tomorrow. Get some rest." She said gently.

"Your Grace" Nikolas voiced holding the door for the Princess. Alexa started to walk outside but stopped and turned toward the two rulers, "Goodnight" she said before bowing. The women wished her the same before the door closed.

Alexa followed the man. They walked in silence up and down a few more stairs and corridors. Alexa wondered how she would manage to find her way in this labyrinth once alone. Maybe she could find a map of the stronghold to direct herself, she promised herself to ask for one tomorrow because there was no way she would not get lost here.

After a while the man finally stopped.

"Your quarter for the night Your Grace." He informed opening the door.

Alexa stept inside but didn't venture far, stucked in place.

"I know it's not ideal Your Grace but the Conqueror insisted that you should be the one to choose your permanent quarter. Until then i'm afraid-"

"No … no … that's not ..." Alexa interrupted. She took a deep breath before opening her mouth again, "I'm sorry, i'm not used to this." She said shaking her head. "This is perfect, really, it's way bigger than my old room." She chuckled. "I don't need another room, this one will do."

Alexa saw the surprised look on Nikolas' face and wondered what she had said to warrant this reaction.

"I'm sorry Your Grace but I don't think the Conqueror will agree." Nikolas finally said embarrassed. He must have seen the questioning look sent to him because he didn't wait long to explain. "This is the visitors' aisle of the stronghold. Your quarters has to be situated in the opposite aisle with the ones of the Conqueror. It is mainly a security issue but you will also find that the Royal quarters are much more comfortable."

Alexa looked at the man with wide eyes, "More comfortable than this one ?" she asked not believing it. She took another look at her room trying to imagine something even better. The bed was huge, four people could sleep in it and still have plenty of room to move. There was a giant window and even a private bathroom. She never had a private bathroom before !

Nikolas smiled at the Princess' reaction. He took his time to study the younger woman, a girl more likely who happened to be the daughter of Greece's ruler, a Princess who didn't act at all like her title would command of her. He understood right away that the girl wasn't born with privileges. When he received the news about the new addition in the Conqueror's life he was shocked at first but now he was relieved. He was beginning to worry about his Lord, for moons she seemed unhappy, something obviously bothering her. He hoped things will get better now, the woman deserved it.

"Does Queen Gabrielle has a room on this aisle too ?" Asked Alexa. She didn't know how long the Queen was supposed to stay here with them and she wished she would be allowed to spend some time with the Amazon before her departure.

"No, Queen Gabrielle will stay in her old quarters in the Royal aisle."

Alexa perked up at that, "Guests are allowed to stay close to the Conqueror then ?"

Nikolas shook his head, "Doing so would be dangerous, you can never be sure of people's intentions."

"I don't understand." She said clearly in the dark. "Why are you making an exception with Queen Gabrielle then ?"

"The Amazon Queen is not a threat to the Conqueror. Besides, she is the one who redid the Royal quarters, it's only fair she is allowed to use them when she visits."

Alexa looked curiously at the man, she was missing something. A knock at the door disrupted their conversation. The Princess waited for the door to open but realized too late it would not happen unless she asked for it. Thanksfully, Nikolas took matter into his own hands and open the door to the newcomer.

"Master Elpis." Nikolas welcomed.

The man entered with a spring in his step and a smile on his face.

"Princess Alexa, this is Master Elpis, the personal healer of the Conqueror. Master, Princess Alexa, daughter of the Conqueror and Princess of Greece Empire." Formally introduced Nikolas.

Alexa sighed at the title. She wondered if this would happen everytime she will meet someone new. Frankly she hoped not because she didn't think she would ever get used to it.

"Princess." Elpis acknowledged. "I was told our new Royal is already in need of my help. Not that I should be surprised knowing who your mother is." The healer chuckled.

"I … Uhm ..." Stuttured the Princess.

"And I see you inherited her conversational skills too."

"Elpis !" Erupted Nikolas horrified by the liberties taken by the man.

The healer waved him off. "Relax, i'm sure the Princess doesn't mind a little ligthness right now." The man said with a knowing smile directed at Alexa.

Not receiving any denial from the younger girl, the healer went back to the reason of his presence here. "Let's see what we got here. Care to sit down please ?"

Alexa sat on the bed eyeing the man cautiously. At first glance, he looked pretty old but seeing him move you would think he was not much older than herself. His playfulness made him much younger too. He moved her arm gently, a frown visible on his face.

"Did you fall on it ?"

"No. I tried to calm my horse, he pulled away while I was still holding the reins."

A groan escaped the healer's mouth. "A stretch then. Are you still in pain ?"

"A little bit."

The healer moved back crossing his arms, "Is it really a little bit or are you trying to be unnecessarely difficult ?" He asked sternly.

Alexa was taken aback by the change of attitude, "A little bit." She answered unsure.

The man stared at her longer than she would have liked before breaking into a big smile, "Okay ! Just making sure."

They remained silent during the rest of the consultation, Elpis too focused on his examination and Alexa a little weirded out by the man's behavior. At last the man finished his exam and let the girl's arm rest on her knees.

"Keep doing what you were doing. I will see you again in a few days to see if we can let this arm loose. Anything else I can help you with ?"

Alexa hesitated, something not lost on the healer. Elpis gestured to the other man in the room asking for some privacy.

The young Princess toyed nervously with the scarf laying on her knees. "What I say to you, will it remain between us ?"

"It will unless I feel the Conqueror has to know."

She hesitated again but realized she didn't have much of a choice. "I have trouble sleeping." The girl said embarrassed.

"Nightmares ?" He asked kindly.

Alexa nodded her answer. "I think it's because I feel anxious too."

"Is it something you're used to feel ?" The man asked while rummaging through his bag.

"It's been a long time since i've felt that way."

"The situation is peculiar so it's not surprising. Your new responsabilities could trigger some unwanted feelings, you have to be careful. There." He said handing her a bottle. "You'll have enough for the next couple of days. It is only temporary, I trust you will come see me if your troubles remain." He said seriously.

The Princess nodded grateful. "I will."

"Good ! I will let you two alone now." He said loudly enough for Nikolas to hear.

Alexa watched the healer leave the room. She got up and walked toward the window. As it was dark outside she couldn't see much except the City's lights puncturing the night. No sound from outside could be heard and with the lights floating the effect was strangely soothing.

At some point, Nikolas wished her a goodnight and she was left alone. She stood at the windows for awhile before exploring her temporary bedchamber. A nightdress was put carefully on the bed. She wasn't expecting to find anything in the wardrobe but obviously she had been wrong. A change of clothes, her clothes, was hanging before her. _When did they find the time to put it there ?_

Her bewilderment didn't stop there. Indeed, in her private bathroom she found all her stuff and then some. She took a look at the products that wasn't hers and stood agape as she was investigating the rest of the bathroom. Everything was top notch and was probably costing more than what Misha made in a year.

She went back to the bedroom and sat on the bed. The nightdress was within her reach, she grabbed it with her good hand and examined the fabric. She was expecting it but still the softness of it amazed her. _Silk, of course. _She took Elpis' concoction before taking her shoes off and laid on the bed. She turned toward the window and watched the stars in the night sky, it felt as if she was sleeping outside. It was probably the desired effect, she thought and wondered if many of the Conqueror's visitors were taking the time to admire the view. She hoped so because it was truly beautiful.

She felt herself fall asleep, she fought it at first wanting to stay awake as long as possible, enjoying the last moments of a simpler life. For better or for worse, starting tomorrow she knew she will finally see the drastic turn her life has taken.

* * *

><p>It was years since she last walked these corridors. Looking at the tapestries, she could see some improvement were made. As a whole, the Castle looked as majestic in the inside as it looked on the outside. More importantly, she forgot how luxurious it was.<p>

They arrived in front of the former Queen's quarters. Gabrielle opened the door and entered. She stood unmoving at the entrance looking dumbfounded at the sight. It felt like the room had frozen in time.

"Nikolas stubbornly refused to let anyone use it since you left." Xena said entering behind the Queen.

Gabrielle turned around to face the older woman. "This is kind of creepy."

Xena shrugged as a response. She always felt it was as well but at the time, she had better thing to do than care about Nikolas' decisions.

The Amazon checked every corner to see if everything was really exactly like she let them. It almost was. When she took a look at her wardrobe it was empty.

"I asked Nikolas to donate your clothes. I was afraid he was starting to build a shrine in your honor."

Gabrielle scoffed at the remark.

The room didn't lack furnitures but it felt empty nonetheless. A pang of sadness engulfed her when she realized the reason. She shared the room once, with the Conqueror. They lived together, it didn't last more than a few moons but they had their routine around here. Today, it was lifeless, the place acting as a memory of their past life together and nothing else. She went on with her visit, smiling when her eyes fell on the small and only couch of the salon, something she was sure she would never see again.

"I'm surprised you didn't get rid of it. You hated the thing."

The Conqueror followed the Queen's look and sighed. "Because it's uncomfortable. I never understood why you kept it."

"It's good for your posture !"

The Conqueror rolled her eyes like she would have done years ago when they had the same argument. The couch was ugly for one and the most atrocious thing she ever sat on in her life. It was like sitting on a board, an ugly board.

"It was a gift right ? You never told me from whom though."

"I was afraid you would track them down." Gabrielle explained jokingly.

Xena smiled at the banter. The electric atmosphere present since their encounter a few days ago was replaced by a lighter one. Maybe they could do it after all, maybe they could patch things up and get a new start.

"We have a long day planned for tomorrow so I'll let you rest. I'm getting tired myself."

Gabrielle nodded before seeing the warrior to the door. "Have a goodnight then." She said with a smile.

"Goodnight." The Conqueror answered politely. "If you need anything ..." She trailed off.

"I know." A smile again. Gabrielle watched the warrior walk down the hallway before closing the door. She leaned against it taking her time to register what was happening. She never thought she would put a foot in Corinth anymore, even less in her former quarter so being here right now was unthinkable. And yet here she was.

Even more surprising was the development of her relationship with her former lover. She never thought Xena would be willing to mend things between them but as it was often the case, the woman was full of surprises. The next days will tell but the Queen was optimistic. They were both inclined to work together and whether they liked it or not, they needed each other.

_A need beyond my duty as the Amazon Queen_, thought Gabrielle. She couldn't lie to herself, being in the Conqueror's presence woke up something within her, something she has not felt for years for another woman. A pull she only experienced once and thought she would never feel again, a desire so strong it managed to scare her in the past. She took a deep breathe trying to calm her raging emotions. It's true she hadn't shared her bed with anyone for almost a season - something odd even from Gabrielle point of view - but it was no excuses. It wasn't the reason of her visit and it certainly couldn't become a reason of her lack of motivation to leave. But as hard as it was for her to admit, she couldn't deny the fact the Conqueror still had this power over her. She could fight against it all her life but in the end she would still lose.

But some losses are worth it, right ?

Or at least that was what she always thought.


	15. Chapter 15

****Chapter 15. ****

**How are you all ? Still reading this ? :) **

The first rays of light had barely picked the night that Corinth was already well awake and going. News of the Conqueror's safe return were in every Corinthians mouth. Rumors were swirling about the presence at her side of a child, her child. No one seemed to be surprised though, no one knew much about the Conqueror's life after all. Since her seizure of power, everything had been said about the warrior woman, so her having a child was by far the less strange thing people had heard until then. But if this was true it meant that a celebration was about to take place and everyone knew that Corinthians loved their celebrations.

Another rumor was roaming the streets, a less believable one this time by Corinthians' standards. Some were swearing they had heard the Amazon Queen was in the City too and that she was currently staying in the stronghold with the Conqueror's benediction.

Stories about the falling out between the Conqueror and the Amazon Queen were known to all, the details of it changing with every tale but the main point staying the same : the Queen had left their Lord side, no one knew the reason but for the majority there was only one who could be guilty and it was the Conqueror.

Queen Gabrielle always had the people's support – a complete opposite of the noble's opinion of her – they trusted her, loved her. She always took the time to mingle with them, to personally come try the last new things in town. She wasn't hiding in the Castle, she was on the streets and took some of her precious time to talk with them, no matter their statut. Whether you were the poorest of the City or the richest, she always listened.

But then one day she stopped coming and after a moon the news of her departure was breaking into the houses. The Conqueror was blamed, who else could be responsible ? They prayed and wished for the Amazon Queen return, to no avail. The seat at the right of the Conqueror remained empty until one day it was simply removed.

They feared for the Conqueror state of mind, not out of concern for her but out of concern for themselves. But nothing changed, nothing at all.

They all knew that they will not have to wait long to see if the rumor about the Queen's whereabouts was true. Once thing they knew for sure was that if Queen Gabrielle was in town she will be seen roaming the streets soon enough.

* * *

><p>When Alexa woke up, her eyes met with the dark. She turned toward the window and stared at it with confusion. The drapes were closed, keeping the light from entering the bedchamber. Sure to have let them opened last night she stood up and opened them up. The sun was already high in the sky, noon was close and she was just waking up !<p>

A soft knock at the door broke the silence in the room. Alexa waited a bit before answering not sure if she had heard right. When a second and more defined knock was heard, she invited the person to come in.

A woman entered and saluted her while bowing before her. Her long blond hair fell before her face despite her complicated hairstyle. She put them back behind her back when she raised herself back to a standing position. They both stared at each other, the woman waiting for a word from the Princess and the Princess too stunned by the presence of this beautiful woman to move. It wasn't her beauty per say which shocked the teen but the confidence she was exuding. The way the woman was standing before her, the way she was looking at her, everything about her was screaming upper-class and it instantly made her uneasy.

"How did you sleep Your Grace ?" She asked staring directly into Alexa's eyes. Feeling awkward in front of her, Alexa averted her eyes.

"Great I guess since I forgot to wake up."

"The Conqueror said you weren't to be disturbed." The woman informed while opening the last of the curtains. Alexa watched her move around the room, every gesture was so elegantly done, the girl wondered who she was exactly.

"The Conqueror is awake ?"

The woman nodded her head, "She usually beat the sun to it." Seeing the look on the Princess, the woman added, "Our Lord doesn't need many hours of sleep."

_Again something we don't share_, thought Alexa.

"Should I ask for a bath to be prepared Your Grace ?"

A bath would be very welcomed, she needed to relax before attacking the day.

"Yes, please." She answered thanksful. Entering the bathroom she started to undress and was surprised to feel the woman behind her starting to help her out of her clothes. She stopped moving.

"Something's wrong Your Grace ?"

_Your Grace again. _She didn't like it, it felt wrong to be called that, she wasn't gracious, far from it. And it was unnerving to hear it used in every sentence.

"Thank you for your help but I will manage now." She said softly hoping the woman will catch up on her predicament. Injured or not, at fifteen she thought she was very capable of taking her clothes off without anyone help, she managed until now after all. To her relief, the woman understood and left her alone.

Once in the bath, she managed to relax enough to almost fall asleep again. Elpis' concoction was more than effective, thanks to it she slept peacefully and felt refreshed, ready to face what was behind her bedchamber's door.

The water grew cold but she stayed anyway wanting to postpone whatever should happen next. She had no idea what was expected of her for today or even if something was expected of her, period. Yesterday when they arrived, no one was around, the City was asleep, the Castle too. She was sure that it was very different now, that when she will pass the door she will be surrounded by more people than she was comfortable with. All strangers, all knowing who she was, all waiting for her. Will she ever be a nobody again? Will she be_ just Alexa_ again? Or will she be 'Your Grace' from now on, the daughter of someone powerful and nothing else?

In Amphipolis, she was the tavern owner's daughter, the smart girl who prefered scrolls to people. She never liked it, this was not her. She always thought she was way more than that but no one ever let her be anything else. Liam tried and even though the man was old enough to be her father, they became friends. He knew her struggle, the feelings to be poorly understood. It's true she never felt at her place with Amphipolis' youth because she wanted more from life, more than a good husband, more than a good marriage. She dreamed of leaving, she knew she would one day, she wanted to find her parents and see the world.

But even more than that, she wanted to live. It was as simple as that. She wanted to live her life to the fullest, to learn, to love, to tell herself on her last breath that she made the most of it. And she knew she would never be able to do all that if she were to stay in Amphipolis.

And she left ...

Never had she imagined these circumstances as the reason of her departure though.

And she found her mother or rather her mother found her.

And she would surely see the world at the Conqueror's side.

She had everything she dreamed of and yet it was so far from what she wished her life would be.

Her fear now was to be stuck in the Conqueror's shadow, to only be known as 'The daughter of' for the rest of her life. This was not her either. She wanted to be someone and she knew she would have to fight to claim her place. It would be so easy to stay hidden under the Conqueror's wings but if she were to choose this path she knew she would regret it someday.

So here, in the cold water of this sparkling bathroom she promised herself to fight for herself and to use her newfound place in the world to do something useful, something she could be proud of, something Misha could be proud of.

"Become the woman you want, not the woman others expect you to become." She said out loud. It was Liam's words, ones he said to her over and over again to make her believe that she could become who she wanted but only if she were to work for it.

It was up to her now.

On these thoughts she got out of the bath and dried herself up. When she entered her bedroom, the woman was waiting for her, clothes neatly prepared on the bed. They exchanged a look.

"I will wait outside." The woman offered politely.

"Thank you." Said Alexa with a smile relieved the woman understood her reluctance to be helped. Just before the door fully closed, Alexa stopped her. "I don't mean to be difficult, I hope i'm not frankly. It's just that all this is ..." The Princess struggled to find the right words.

"Too much." The woman added which earned her a nod from Alexa. "I understand. We will adapt to your needs, you just have to ask." She said gently. "We are here to serve you."

"I don't need to be served." Alexa said more curtly than she wanted to. Her tone didn't seem to phase the older woman.

"What I meant is that here in the Castle, as the Empire Princess, what you say goes unless the Conqueror says otherwise. Your rules will be followed without question. So if anything makes you uncomfortable, please tell us."

Alexa looked at the woman like she had said the most absurd thing in the world. Was it really so easy ? Will this be her life now ? Surrounded by people subjected to her every whim. A complete opposite of the way she was raised. She smiled when thinking of the way Misha would have reacted to those words, probably horrified to see someone put such ideas in her head.

"Wait." Alexa suddenly said preventing the woman from getting out of the room. "You didn't tell me your name."

The woman seemed to hesitate to answer which made the Princess frowned. She thought strange already that the woman had not shared her name when she first entered the room but she let it slide thinking it was an oversight, a rather weird one yes but an oversight nonetheless. Now, she was beginning to think it was intentional and it puzzled her.

"I apologize, Your Grace. I'm Alienor, your personal maid."

The change of attitude was unmistakable, so much so that Alexa watched with confusion as the woman closed the door barely waiting for a response. What was the meaning of this, she didn't know but she decided to let it go, for now.

The Princess took her time to get dressed grimacing at the choice of clothes made by her new personal maid, she certainly would have prefered to wear something else, something less dressy. But she kept her mouth shut and met with the woman outside her bedchamber. Guards were at her door and saluted her. They started walking in silence, the tense atmosphere between them hard to ignore. They passed hallways after hallways like the day before and Alexa felt lost already. Alienor seemed to know the place perfectly and Alexa wondered since when the woman was working here.

"Queen Gabrielle asked if she could join you for lunch." The woman said breaking the tension between them.

"Of course." The princess answered with a little too much enthousiasm. "Will the Conqueror be there too ?"

Alienor shook her head, "I'm afraid the Conqueror has other commitments."

Disappointment settled inside the Princess. They took a step forward the day before, Alexa wanted to go beyond and know more about the woman. She would have to wait apparently but she hoped it would not become a routine. She wanted to be part of the Conqueror's life and not become a simple appointment in the Conqueror's busy schedule.

At least today, she will not eat alone. She would be lying if she were to say she was not happy to spend time alone with the Amazon Queen.

* * *

><p>The Amazon Queen stood in front of her bedchamber's mirror, all regal in her clean clothes. An above the knee red skirt with a matching top with complicated gold seams would surely do the trick. Not much traditional in Amazon's standards but still enough to clearly identify her for who she was. Gold bracelets on her biceps and leather straps on her wrists were the last touch she put before getting out of her room.<p>

The hall was empty and she reminded herself that she had to thank Nikolas for what he did with her quarters. She had to admit that it was a relief to be staying here.

When Xena chose to make Corinth the Capital City of the Empire, they decided to rearrange everything. The former King had poor taste, so they redid the whole place. It was decided that a whole side of the Castle would be reserved for the Conqueror exclusively – Gabrielle's idea – and were rearranged as Royal Quarters, the most comfortable part of the Castle. But the important part of the agreement was that the whole place was free of people. No guards, no servants, no one was allowed to walk these corridors without authorization. This was Gabrielle's request when they decided to stay in the stronghold during they halt in the city. After all the fighting, the battles and the wars, she was craving for one thing, tranquility. And to Tartarus with the security, they were both capable of defending themselves if need be.

In here they could be themselves, they could lose the masks and simply be Xena and Gabrielle. In the beginning it worked well, unfortunately the burden of Xena's duty as Greece Ruler took the better of their little paradise.

After the bliss came the heartbreak.

She felt it coming insidiously between them. They were confined in their role. Xena spent her days ruling over the Empire, reaching a point where they spent days without seeing each other. And Gabrielle took upon a role she never asked for. People assumed that her place at the right of Greece Ruler meant she was officially linked to the woman whereas the Nobles were acting like she was not even here.

The bard who became the Queen of a tribe before ruling over a Nation she built from scratch, relegated as a simple servant in the eyes of the Nobles of the Capital City.

She let this happen, she was well aware she should have put herself out there since day one. What she had not anticipated was the utter lack of interest and respect the Nobles of Corinth had for her. Those who thought she was the new Conqueror's plaything who will soon be a long lost memory when the ruler would become tired of her new toy. They knew nothing about her or about her relationship with Greece's ruler but they judged her nonetheless.

And she let them.

Not that she thought they were right to do so but she often wondered if it was worth the fight, she never thought she would stay here for more than a couple of moons after all. Unfortunately, the moons became whole seasons and her situation became less than ideal.

_The Royal Bedchamber's door opened forcefully letting one furious Queen enter followed by a much more calm Conqueror._

"_I doubt threatening him was the best option here." The Conqueror said in a calm but firm tone._

"_He was being disrespectful. He's lucky threatening him was all I did." The Amazon Queen said while throwing her scrolls angrily on the bed. _

"_Maybe but you can't-" Seeing Gabrielle whirled around, Xena stopped what she was about to say. _

"_I can't what ?" She asked fuming. _

_Xena knew better than answering. "Nothing." She said in a sigh._

"_Stop that !" the Queen yelled suddenly, the outburst surprising the Conqueror enough for her to take a step back. "You know I hate when you're doing that. If you have something to say, say it because i'm tired of trying to force you to tell me things." _

"_I'm just trying to be accomodating. I know it's been hard for you since we decided to take a break here." _

"_Take a break ?" The Queen shouted incredulously. "We've been here for moons Xena. Moons that i've tried to be helpful around here while dealing with those fools !" _

_The Conqueror tried to keep her composure but it was becoming hard to do seeing the state the Queen was in. She couldn't remember a time the Amazon had been this angry. The woman had a temper, Xena knew that well because she had been on the receiving end of it more than once but never to this point. _

"_You've rejected Corinth since we put a foot in it. You've been defensive and they felt it. Why should they trust you if they think you don't care about them and the City." _

"_This is what you think is the reason of their dislike of me ? Tell me you're joking !" Shouted the Queen clearly tired of the situation. "They think i'm a puppet. _Your_ puppet. And that you keep me around thanks to some of my skills and they're not talking about my fighting skills Xena." She was lashing out at the woman, it was no fair but she couldn't hold it back anymore. This anger, this rage was consuming her, she needed to let it out. _

_She never felt like she was belonging here and it was taking its toll on the Queen. She managed to live with it until now but today it was the last straw. These men out there, too full of themselves to see beyond their gold sandals and fancy outfits, telling her to stop talking about problems a non-greek couldn't possibly understand. If Xena wouldn't have intervened, she would have beat the crap out the man. How dared he ? _

"_They have no respect for the Amazons, thinking of us as barbaric women. In their mind, my only use here is as your body slave. Why should they have respect anyway ? I'm the Queen of a landless Nation after all."_

"_You have lands."_

"_But they're not ours, they're yours. And that's exactly the point. If I was not sharing your bed-"_

"_-It would not change anything !" Xena shouted refusing to let the Queen finish her train of thought. "Don't make me look like some shallow woman Gabrielle. We both know our relationship goes beyond us sleeping together."_

"_We may know it but your people don't."_

"_We should show them then." Emerald eyes looked straight at her. Utter silence suddenly covered the room. Xena took advantage of the surprise to take a step toward the Amazon. "We've been dancing around the subject for so long" She started with a gentleness she rarely demonstrated anymore. "It was not that important on the battlefields but we can't keep pretending. I want everyone to know who you are Gabrielle, what you represent for me and what you should represent for them. You're a Queen, a strong, talented and beautiful one but I want you to be more. I want everyone to see you at my side as who you really are, my equal. Be my Queen Gabrielle. Be theirs, be Greece's."_

She should have said yes. Only a fool would refuse such offer.

The truth is that she never answered. They let the question hang in the air. Xena never asked again, her preoccupation quickly put elsewhere. It was Gabrielle's decision to make anyway, Xena would not insist nor try to convince.

But the Amazon Queen knew the answer she would have given if forced. The second Xena popped the question, Gabrielle knew she would never accept and the realization crushed her. The feelings she had for the woman had vanished, she couldn't say when exactly but they definitely did. She remembered feeling a physical pain at the realization, like someone was ripping part of her heart. She wasn't in love anymore, and the emptiness she had felt was unbearable.

Rarely in her life had she been sure of something, but this ... this was the moment she understood that her life at the Conqueror's side was coming to an end and that she will not fight it.

Being in Corinth again forced her to reflect on her time over here. She left with the intend of never coming back, she left without even saying goodbye. And roaming the hallways she wondered briefly if her sudden return would awake others painful memories or worst, create new ones.

This city never gave her a sense of security, she never felt at home here, even with Xena at her side. It was something she always promised herself to change if she were given a second chance with the ruler.

This second chance, the Fates were giving it to her now but she wasn't a fool, she knew it had a price to it, a price she hoped she will be willing to pay. She couldn't go back in time but she could make sure to not make the same mistake twice.

_Whatever it takes, _she promised herself before getting out of the Royal Quarters. _Whatever it takes ..._


	16. Chapter 16

**Hello to you all !**

**New chapter (finally!) !**

**I'd like to answer the questions asked about the delay between two chapters. I know it sucks, really i hear you but as i was saying in a previous chapter, i started this story while i was in an extended vacation of some kind. Now i'm working again so i have less time and i don't want to rush to post because i want to take my time to give you something i actually don't mind posting. I am very sorry for the wait, as a fanfiction reader myself i know the struggle.**

**On this note i want to thank you again for the reviews and the commitment in reading this. Don't hesitate to keep sharing what you think of this story.**

Most of the Amazon Nation was sleeping peacefully at this hour of the night and she was envious of them. Her bed was calling her but she had to fight against the need. So much had to be done …

She didn't know how Gabrielle was managing it. The Queen never seemed overtired which baffled Ephiny.

One of Eponin's soldier entered her tent, handing her a scroll. Anger fueled her veins at the words written.

"Movements were spotted ? Where exactly?" She asked the young guard.

"Troops were put right at the frontier. Eponin sent me here immediately to tell you to get ready to leave in case they decide to move again."

"We shouldn't have trusted Kaleipus' words." She said crushing the scroll in her hand.

The guard looked at her Regent with surprised eyes. "It's not the Centaurs Ephiny."

The said-Regent swiftily turned toward the woman her eyes brimming with rage. "Who then ?" she asked even if deep down she already knew. From the beginning she had felt that something was not right, that something bigger was brewing. She felt it but she refused to believe in it because the consequences would be too great and it was too much for her mind to wrap itself around. So she waited for the confirmation, hoping until the very end that she had been wrong.

"Romans" she barely heard the girl utter … A word only but a word whose meaning meant that tartarus was about to fall upon them.

* * *

><p>Not even a full day since she returned in Corinth and she was already tempted to relieve her pent-up rage and exasperation on everyone who had the bad luck to cross her path today. It didn't help to know she had to control herself for her next meeting, knowing full well it would be a little miracle if she happened to do so.<p>

When the Conqueror entered her private office, she was already standing here rooted to the spot. The warrior sighed at the view, understanding that the last years passed trying to get the girl to loosen up were for nothing as her past education prevented her to relax.

"Is she settled ?" The ruler asked without introduction.

Alienor answered the same way without a single sign of deference toward the ruler. "Almost."

That made the ruler frown, "She caused you problems ?"

"No but I guess she's not used to being tended to." The annoyance in her tone was hard to miss and it aggravated the Conqueror even more than she already was.

"Handling her with kid gloves is not what I expect of you. You're not her servant."

"I would have loved to know that before meeting her." Alienor said cutting.

Deep blue eyes looked back at her, something flashing in them, something which reminded her of who exactly she was in the presence of. It still surprised her how easily she managed to forget that this woman was the Conqueror and how easy it was to forget her own place.

During her time at her side, she learned to read the woman's mood, to know when to be cautious and when she could push her a bit more. She learned where the woman drew the line and more importantly she learned to never cross it. So right now she feared for herself because those eyes were telling her that she had pushed her luck too far.

"I chose you to be her guide not her maid. I need someone I can trust at her side. But if you're not interested you're free to go back to Athens."

Alienor kept her eyes on the floor, threatening eyes were staring at her she was sure of it and she certainly didn't want to cross them right now. The warrior knew her dislike of the ancient Capital. How many times did she ask to be allowed to come back here. But the Conqueror always refused her. She stayed in Athens less than a couple of seasons and it had been the longest time of her life. When she received words that her last request had been accepted and that she could come back here at once, she was overjoyed. The real reason for it showered her enthousiasm though.

No, she won't miss Athens but she had hoped to come back and find her life the way she left it.

But when she entered Corinth, Nikolas informed her that the Conqueror had left, in secret he said. She wondered for awhile why the secrecy but thanks to her friendship with the man she didn't have to wait long to know the reason behind the ruler's sudden departure.

She remembered leaving Corinth for Athens in conflict with the ruler, something she wasn't accustomed to. To her profound sadness she realized that the tension present back then was still present and back in full force.

The Conqueror watched the young woman waiting to see if she would dare say a word to her. Satisfied with the lack of response she went on with the subject of their meeting.

"She will probably want to know about you."

That got the young woman's attention, "What should I tell her ?"

"The truth." The ruler answered with certainty. "If she has to trust someone, I want it to be you. Lying to her will prevent that." Again the ruler waited for a response from the younger woman but got none. "Make sure she knows what she'll be up against but don't frighten her" she finished as a way of dismissal. Sitting at her desk, she went back to her work. Unfortunately, the other woman wasn't ready to leave yet.

"Why me ?"

Xena looked up and found piercing eyes staring at her. "Who better than a Princess to teach her how to become one ?"

Alienor always has been as docile as one could expect from someone of her status but once in awhile, Xena was privy of the young woman's personality, something the blond learned to hide after years of being taught to. But right now, the ruler could see the façade crumbling down.

"So this is the only choice I have ? Teach her or go back to a place I learned to despise ?" She asked with barely suppressed comtempt. The cold look she received in exchange made her shudder but she stood her ground. She wanted to know why she was here, what would be her role from now on but more importantly why the warrior was acting that way with her. A wall raised itself between them the minute she decided it was time for her to leave Corinth and she never understood why. What she knew though was that her relationship with the ruler never was the same again, proof of that was the lack of contact between them. They haven't seen each other for moons and the ruler didn't even ask how she was. This meeting was the first talk they had since they both came back in the capital and it was lacking of everything remotely warm.

The Conqueror got off of her chair not liking the turn the conversation was taking. Towering over the younger woman she went on, "Leaving was your choice or do I need to remind you of that ?"

"I was wishing to travel to Persepolis, see the city again ..."

"We've talked about this already." The Conqueror interrupted with irritation.

This riled up the girl even more to the point she lost her temper. "No we didn't !" She loudly exclaimed. "Don't say we did when all you said to me was no without any explanation. And once in Athens you refused every one on my requests to come back and at first I thought you wanted to teach me a lesson but after awhile I understood that you were keeping me away on purpose." She took a step back needing to get as far as she could from the intimidating woman. "We haven't seen each other for moons Xena and you act like you don't even care. And even with all that you expect me to help you out."

Seeing the woman's move, the ruler closed the distance again between them. "I told you before but it looks like you've forgotten. I will not let you go to a place where I can't assure your safety. And let me make this very clear : Persepolis is the last place I will allow you to go."

The unfairness of the situation fueled her anger, enough for her to stand up to the ruler, something she never dared to do until now. Her fists were clenched so hard her knuckles turned white under the pressure, she could feel angry tears prickling in her eyes and she cursed herself for letting her emotions took control of her body so easily.

"It should be my decision to make."

"That's enough Alienor" The ruler said a warning evident in her tone. "I don't have time to deal with this renewed defiance you seem to have built up against me so I advise you to think carefully about your next words and actions."

And defiant she was. A newly found braveness took over, enough for the woman to utter her next words with conviction and without fear.

"I stand by my words."

"Then I hope you didn't unpack." The Conqueror answered while sitting back down at her desk.

The ruler's complete indifference was hurting more than the rest, and it prompted the young woman to get out of the room quickly not wanting to let the warrior see her cry. On her way out she passed Nikolas who stood agape as she slammed the door of the Conqueror's study.

* * *

><p>Alexa was walking down the Castle's corridors, focused on her goal to not get lost this time. She managed to find her way back to the main door and walked outside. The weather was beautiful, so much so that she planned to go see the City for the first time. Not wanting to make the trip by herself she first looked for Queen Gabrielle, unfortunately no one had seen the Amazon and nobody could tell her where she could be. Not to be detered, she looked for Sefu, successfully finding him but not after having to force her entry into the practice camp which was protected from the rest of the Castle. She wondered why and Sefu told her it was a matter of privacy, the Conqueror not wanting her soldiers to become attractions, training being a serious matter and not a spectacle. Alexa saw the soldiers looking at her with suspicion, Sefu must have too because he walked her out the practice field with energy.<p>

He waited to be close to the Castle main gate before adressing the Princess again. "I'd suggest you stay away from the baracks and the practice field your Grace, at least until you are properly introduced by the Lord Conqueror. Soldiers here they don't like intruders."

Sefu was avoiding her eyes clearly uncomfortable by the situation and an uneasy feeling passed through the young Princess.

"I didn't mean to … intrude, I was just looking for you. I'd like to visit the City."

"I'm sorry your Grace but most of the gates are closed for security matter, you can't go outside unless the Conqueror is at your side."

"She told you that ?" asked the girl incredulously.

"Indeed your Grace."

On those words the Princess turned around angrily grumbling incoherent words while Sefu stood there surprised by the girl's attitude.

Alexa roamed the corridors to calm herself, she couldn't believe that she had to be confined here even though she had been told she could visit the city whenever she liked. She thought about going directly to the Conqueror to ask for an explanation but she dismissed the idea. The ruler was busy she knew it, so busy that she hadn't had the time to share a single meal with her since they arrived in Corinth. Thanksfully Queen Gabrielle was here or else she would be alone most of her day. Alienor was missing too, a new maid taking her place almost immediately despite the Princess insistance she was not in need of one. Unable to explore the City she decided that she'd dedicate her day to the exploration of the maze that was this Castle. Of course she got lost but to her relief she quickly caught sight of a familiar face.

"Alienor ! Wait, please !"

The woman stopped, an eyebrow raised at the sudden appearance.

"Can you show me the way toward the visitors' wing, I'm lost ... again."

A sigh. "You are in it, your bedchamber is on the other side." She informed while pointing to the end of the corridor.

"Oh." Looking at the luggages in Alienor's hand, the young Princess couldn't avoid to ask, "You're going somewhere ?"

"Yes." Seeing the questioning eyes of the girl she sighed again. "I'm leaving for Athens."

Excitement was unmistakable in Alexa's eyes, "I've always wanted to see Athens, I heard that's where you find the best plays."

"You have good ones here too." Alienor said indifferent. She entered her bedchamber not expecting the young Princess to follow her inside. "I thought you were looking for your room ?"

"Yes but I was wondering how yours would look like." Alexa entered the place looking around her. The room was highly decorated with everything at its place. The cost of a lot of the things around her could feed a family for an entire year which confirmed her suspicions about the woman.

"Why did you say you were my maid ?" She asked while taking what appeared to be an expensive vase in her hands. There were paintings on it, it was beautiful and unlike anything she had seen before.

Alienor took the vase from the girl's hands and put it back in its place. "Because I thought that was what was expected of me."

Alexa walked toward the window, the view was astounishing, way more than hers was. The room seemed bigger too and a lot more spacious. Clearly this was a high class accommodation and not meant to welcome anybody.

"So what is expected of you then ?"

Putting her luggages on her bed she started to fill them in with clothes. "It doesn't matter anymore."

The Princess didn't comment, the silence pushed Alienor to turn around to make sure the girl was still there and indeed she was, her eyes still focused on the life outside the window. "How did you guess ?"

"No servant would act like you did." Alexa said with a smile. "The way you were behaving yourself, everything about you was screaming high class." She turned her back on her former maid and stared outside the window again. "I never met people like you or Queen Gabrielle before but I know the kind of people maids are, I was raised by one of those people, I grew up surrounded by those kind of people ... I am one of them. You, on the other hand, you are far from it."

Alienor was taken aback by the sincerity of those words. "You were raised in Amphipolis ?"

"Yes … Misha, the tavern owner took me in when I was a baby. I was raised in the tavern which at the time was owned by the Conqueror's mother. I didn't know that of course, I learned about it not so long ago along with everything else." A deep sadness crept its ugly head again but Alexa refused to let it out.

Alienor tried to concil her shock, she didn't know all that and she wasn't sure how to respond to it. "I know what its like to leave everything behind. At least, you have someone in your home village to visit if you need to."

"She died …" she said in a breath. "Misha I mean, she was killed during the Conqueror's visit. I had nothing left in Amphipolis, that's why i'm here. All I have is here now and I don't even know what that means."

Listening to the girl, Alienor realized how much they had in common finally. Their background were different but they had both lived terrible experiences. She understood then that she couldn't leave and let this girl fending for herself here, she wouldn't survive a day in the middle of Corinth's elite, even less with foreigners. The Conqueror had saved her and it was time to return the favour.

* * *

><p>Queen Gabrielle entered the Royal Quarters exhausted by her day in the city but happy to have find what she needed. She was about to enter her bedchamber when she realized the door of Xena's study was open. She entered and indeed the woman was there, working.<p>

"Good day in the market ?"

Gabrielle smiled, of course she would know what she had been up to today. "I guess."

"Do I need to prepare myself for a surprisingly huge amount of complaints from the merchants in days to come ?"

"If so don't believe them, they're just sore losers."

The ruler laughed and it was music to the Queen's ears.

Footsteps were suddenly heard in the hall and both rulers were surprised to see a young woman out of breath appear at the door.

"Xena ? Oh you're still here thanks the gods." Alienor said trying to regain her composure. "I ran in the whole Castle to find you ..." She didn't finish her sentence realizing just now the ruler was not alone in the room. She cursed herself for the mistake and immediately tried to rectify it by bowing before the two rulers. "I'm sorry my Lord I didn't know you were in a meeting."

"What did you need ?" The Conqueror asked calmly.

Alienor glanced at the Queen and then at the Conqueror, Gabrielle took the hint and excused herself.

Now alone with the ruler, the young woman hesitated. "I ..." she cleared her throat before carrying on, "I'm sorry." She said simply. "I was out of bound before, it will not happen again."

"For your sake it better not." The Conqueror said strongly.

The young woman actually looked ashamed of herself which was enough for the ruler to believe she was truly sorry.

"What changed your mind ?"

"We talked, Alexa and I. Knowing what I know now I can't leave and pretend everything will be fine."

The ruler nodded, "I'll inform the guards but that doesn't mean Athens is off the table. Your little display of discontentment in front of Nikolas was uncalled for, i'll let it go this time but i won't tolerate this a second time, is that clear ?"

Nodding her head yes, Alienor took her leave.

"For what it's worth ..." Xena started before the girl was out of reach, "I'm glad you've changed your mind."

A thanksful smile broke on Alienor's face, this was not a lot but she needed to hear this.

"So girls are literally running at you now ?" The Queen said mocking while entering the study after Alienor's departure.

"Jealousy never suited you you know."

The Queen rolled her eyes at the remark, "She is a little bit young even for you" she said with a grin. "But … if jealousy was to come into it I really don't think it would come from me. Alexa on the other end ..."

A grunt and a 'Don't be absurd' was all she received as a response but the Queen knew she was right.

"I don't think I am, you know why ? Because only a few people won the right to adress you by your birthname and every single one of them are people you consider family or people who once were considered as such. Besides, people talk ..."

Xena lifted her head from her work at this, "What did you hear ?"

"Little comments mainly about your tendency to come back from your campaigns with teenage girls at your side. I know you so I set aside the disgusting innuendo but a question was still there … Who is she ?"

The ruler waved her off, "I'm only fulfilling a promise, there is nothing else to see."

But Gabrielle wanted to know, "Who is she ?"

Knowing the Queen would never let that down Xena decided now was maybe the time to reveal a little bit more of her life after their separation. "When I launched the attack on the Achaemenid Empire, you remember i'm sure that Darius was fighting an uprising in his ranks."

The Queen remembered yes, this was what pushed her to leave, this was when she understood that Greece would never be enough for the Conqueror because she wanted more, she wanted it all.

"When we entered Persepolis, the City was in flames, the bodies of Darius' sons were put on display on its walls, his wife crucified. We managed to push the rebels back and once inside the Castle we finally found Darius. He was surrounded by his personal guard but his men were defending a corpse. Or it was what I thought. He was laying on his bed, as white as the sheets, the room reeking of sweat and rotting flesh. I knew the man was relentless but here I realized at what point. He called me at his side to the utter disbelief of his men and myself. Approaching the bed I could not stop thinking how he could still be breathing but when I crossed his eyes I saw a fire in them I wasn't expecting and I understood that he must have had a reason to fight death so strongly. He told me of the rebels attack, how he watched his wife and sons be tortured and killed. I saw the pain in his eyes, and I realized I was watching one of the most powerful and feared ruler of our time as defenseless as one could be. And even though he was one of Greece's enemy and I was here to conquer his Empire, I stayed at his side listening to him telling me of the atrocities of his downfall."

She stopped her tale momentarily to force herself to remember this moment as clearly as possible. It had been a hard thing to live with. Granted she had seen horrifying things before but seeing Darius defeated on his death bed shook something into her core. His end raised her own fear to the surface and made her realize that even the greatest could lose it all in a snap.

"He told me the rebels had taken his daughters and that he knew what would happen to them if no one came to their rescue. I never thought I would see Darius the Great begging but here he was with tears in his eyes, gripping my hand and pleading me to save them."

Until now the Queen listened carefully but fearing the woman will stop her tale at this she asked eagerly for her to go on. "What did you do ?"

"I promised to find them of course. The man was on his death bed, I was not cruel enough to forbid him this relief. He died right after I gave him my word. It didn't take us long to learn where the girls were supposedly kept. We broke inside the rebels refuge and we found them or what was left of them. It seemed to us they had been there for a long time even though we knew it wasn't the case. Two were laying on the flour badly burnt, the view enraging my men who were not seeing random people but their own wives, sisters and daughters. They killed every single one of the rebels, giving them the treatment they deserved. When the last of them took his last breath that's when we saw her, Darius' youngest daughter."

This part of the story was the hardest to share, she stood up and started pacing, she needed to move. "She told me later that her sisters kept her out of the Rebels' reach by complying to each of their demands, they sacrificied themselves to keep her out of harm and she watched them being abused day after day until it was decided it was time to get rid of them. If we had arrived a day later she would have been their latest victim."

She stopped now in front of the Queen. "She was Alexa's age at the time and she had seen her entire family savagely killed and her Kingdom lost to a foreign army. My army. And you know what was her first words to me ? … 'Thank you'. Her only words during our travel back to Corinth were to thank me, not for saving her from an horrifying death back there but for letting her live after that. She may have been young but she knew I was not supposed to let her live. Her lineage was putting my Empire in danger, because as Darius' legitimate heir she could one day become a threat and she knew that."

The story was terrible but unfortunately not unique. A thing was still bothering the Queen though. "Blond hair and pale skin, she's not your typical Persian." She observed.

Xena agreed. "There was a rumor that Darius had fell in love with one of his slave, the woman died in childbirth but Darius submerged by the grief refused to give up the baby and recognized the child as his own. She was given the same privilieges than the kids he got with his Queen, to her utter disgust. Fortunately, the Royal children never hold it against Alienor and they took her in, they even gave their life for her in the end."

That was unexpected. Darius was known for ruling with a steel fist so hearing that he chose to risk everything to let an illegitimate child take his name was unbelievable. But more than that it was the reason of the presence of this child here among them now that posed question. "Hidden she was no threat to the Empire. You could have send her away, she would have been safe, safer than here. The Conqueror would have."

"I am the Conqueror." She said strongly.

"But you didn't react as such."

Xena could see the wheels in the Queen's head working at full speed and she didn't like it. "Gabrielle ..." She tried to reason but the Amazon didn't let her finish.

"You kept her with you because she was alone, because she had no one left. No one forced you to take care of her. "

"No, I kept her here because she was safer at my side. You know how many people out there want her dead, to put an end once and for all to the Achaemenid legacy ? Or on the contrary how many want her at their side to gain in legitimity ?" The ruler wasn't expecting answers of course, she merely wanted to stop the woman train of thoughts. "I know what you're thinking Gabrielle and you're wrong."

"That's something I never understood ..." Gabrielle said shaking her head, "How can you be so perceptive when it comes to the subtilities of ruling an Empire but so damn blind when it concerns those close to you ?"

The question remained unanswered, the Conqueror refusing to acknowledge any responsibilities. But like it was often the case with the Queen, silent could never linger for too long. "You keep so many things secret."

"Don't we all ?"

"I don't have secret children." Was the snide comment chose by the Queen exasperated by the woman's attitude, a comment she immediately regretted.

Not to be outdone, Xena jumped at the occasion to settle the core. "Maybe not but tell me, how many times did you accept to marry someone you never loved ? Or is it by principle that you say yes to whomever ask you ? Whoever except those who genuinely love you of course."

It hurt … she could have slapped her and it would have been the same for the Queen. "We were supposed to start over."

Xena knew that but her deep old anger was making its way to the surface, she was feeling it take advantage of the little cracks in her armor. "It's not easy for me." She said with gritted teeth.

"I know ..."

"No you don't know !" The ruler yelled angrily. "All these years apart I learned to hate you, I learned to get rid of every pain you caused me, to get rid of every last ounce of love I had for you, for anyone. I promised myself that I will never fall for this again because the pain was too great and it was not worth it in the end. And I thought I had managed to do it but I was wrong."

She passed a hand in her hair trying to save time. She wasn't sure she wanted to take this step, dreading the consequences. A look at those big green eyes was all it took though ... "I never got rid of anything because it's still there ..." Xena said pointing to her torso angrily, "I can feel it when you enter the room or when I cross your eyes. It's still there Gabrielle and it drives me crazy because I don't know if I want to fight against it anymore."

A glance was exchanged between them, enough for both to know what would inevitably happen next. And indeed before Xena had time to move, she saw the Amazon Queen already in front of her, a hand on her cheek, kissing her. It was surprisingly gentle but full of passion. Her body remembered instantly the dance as if they both never had separated. But the emotions behind this simple kiss were so powerful Xena broke the embrace suddenly. She could see the confusion on the Queen's face before a small smile made an appearance. She heard words of reassurance but it was never registered as again her lips were deliciously attacked. Her needs took over then and she let herself lose control. She felt the Queen push her against her desk but refused to carry this on here so instead she walked with her toward her bedchamber. She didn't have time to pass the door that the Queen was attacking her lips again and this time she let her push her toward the bed.

Xena laid on the bed with Gabrielle on top of her, it didn't take long for the Queen to get rid of the ruler's clothes and it didn't take her long either to see Xena's body burst under her touch. She didn't stop, she had waited this for so long that she will be damned if she was going to not enjoy it to the fullest. This body was not new to her and it played to her advantage. She spent moons studying it, wanting to know every little curve, everything which could bring pleasure to the woman under her. Right now she was using it all because she needed Xena to remember what it felt like when they were together … the love, the passion, the lust too. Gabrielle's never been ashamed to show her the effects her simple presence was having on her body. She was feeling it now, this fierce need to take or be taken. She was hearing her name being called but ignored it too consumed that she was on her task.

A drop of sweat ran down her nose, she could hear herself calling the Queen's name, she didn't know anymore if she wanted her to stop or to go faster, all she was aware of was the intense pleasure she was feeling and the pressure which was building into her core. She tried to call Gabrielle's name again but that's the moment her body chose to lose itself.

The Queen felt Xena's body tense and smiled content with herself. Silence was surrounding them, the only sound coming from the ragged breath of the ruler. Gabrielle gently covered their bodies with the remaining sheet and snuggled close to the older woman.

They both knew it was far from over. On the contrary, if their past experience was any indication, they would be at it all night long.


	17. Chapter 17

**It was a tough one but i did it. **

**My schedule is no better than before so again i feel the need to apologize for the wait. **

**Thank you so much for the reviews, i will never say this enough but your little words make me smile every time :)**

* * *

><p>She should be inside with Alienor learning and practicing but instead she was here watching the horse trainer work with Snowflake. The horse seemed calm, so different from the last time she saw him. She rubbed her still sore arm at the memory and wondered if the horse will one day be hers for more than a few hours. The animal was the first gift she received from the Conqueror, a beautiful gift, something she wished she will not have to give up.<p>

Luckily for her, the trainer didn't mind her presence. She thought important that the horse got accustomed to her presence and the trainer thought the same. The goal was of course to prove Snowflake was not a danger and that she could control him. The trainer was optimistic and so was she.

She was brushing the horse mane when Alienor entered the stables. The older woman dismissed the trainer before addressing the Princess.

"I looked everywhere for you !" Alienor said exasperation obvious in her voice.

Alexa didn't even turn around and prefered to stay focused on her task. "I needed a break."

"And you didn't think I should have known ? Because I would have loved to, rather than spending the last candlemark wondering where you were."

The Princess kept taking care of her horse not answering the other woman, the lack of response infuriated Alienor who furiously grabbed the brush from Alexa's hand and sent it flying across the stables. The action surprised the Princess who finally turned around and found herself face to face with a fuming Alienor.

"I don't think you realize" Started Alienor trying hard to keep her composure, "we only have a few days to make sure you won't make a fool of yourself and of the Empire. This ball will be your only chance to prove yourself because those people won't give you a second chance. Once mistake Alexa, that's all they need."

The Ball … That was the only thing in her mind, that was why she wanted a break. They spent the last few days working all day long, learning to speak, to behave, even to dance for Gods sake. She was learning to be someone else and it was beginning to take its toll. The most harrowing thing was the question of etiquette, there were so many things to retain it was overwhelming because she knew a faux pas could have consequences and the pressure was hard to deal with.

"Whether you like it or not, you are the reflection of the Conqueror, this is what it's like to be a Princess, Alexa. In public your attitude has to be exemplary."

"I know that !" The younger girl shouted angrily. "How can I not when you keep telling me that over and over again."

The outburst didn't seem to faze Alienor, she knew they needed to sort this out if they wanted this to work. Granted she didn't choose the easiest way but she didn't have much of a choice. After the last days spent with the girl, Alienor understood why the Conqueror had chosen her to teach the girl. There were many great teachers in Corinth, some of them were even hired for herself during her first few years here in the capitol. But they were all too scared of the Conqueror, they would never dare push the Princess enough for her to be prepared in such short notice. Herself though, she wasn't burdened by this, she would push the girl as far as necessary.

"If you understand it so well then why are you here ? I'm putting my head out there for you, who do you think will be blamed if something goes wrong ? You're the Empire's Princess so stopped hiding from it and act as such !"

Despite her attempts to control her emotions, Alienor could see the girl crumble in front of her.

"Do you think I could forget ? If you're not the one telling me about it I just have to look into the eyes of every single person working in the Castle." Alexa stopped to take a breath trying to keep the tears at bay, it was angry tears that threatened to escape her eyes this time not mourning ones. "I know what they think, I know what they're saying to each other because despite what they seem to think i'm not deaf ! And if that's what they think of me i'm not stupid enough to think the powerful ones of the Empire will think any different." On that she walked passed Alienor grabbing the brush before tending to Snowflake. If it weren't for the repetitive sniffing the persian Princess would have left her companion at her solitude but she couldn't leave the girl crying alone in here.

"No matter what you do, no matter what you say, people will always talk, it's even worse when you're a public figure. I've been there too you know. I'm the daugther of a slave, raised as the daughter of a King, a King who was an enemy of Greece and of the Conqueror. I grew up loved by my brothers and sisters and loathed by their mother the Queen. I was an insult to her name, to her lineage. She hated me and I hated her too, so much so that when I saw her body hanging at Persepolis' gate the only emotion I felt was the relief to finally be free from her tyranny. I felt like a real Princess when I left Persepolis and I started living when Xena saved me that day. I had nothing left but here at her side I was finally someone. I chose this Alexa and that's what you need to do. You have the opportunity to be someone, to change things but you won't achieve anything while hiding in the stables."

Alienor looked at the girl, the shock written all over her face, the face of a child. But more disturbing was her eyes, what you could see into them. From the moment they met she tried as much as she could to not cross the girl's eyes, she didn't want to see her emotions, knowing that if she did she would want to do something about it and she couldn't afford to get attached. So she put a wall between them, blocking the sadness and the pain and it worked, Alexa was beginning to get a hang of the lessons and she wasn't feeling anything for the girl. It was working but she knew she was slipping for her role, that it was starting to be difficult to be cold with her because Alexa was genuinely kind. Seeing her so broken right now awoke something inside her, a need to do something, anything to fix it and to wipe the sadness from her eyes. An idea came to her mind and she sighed before taking the girl's hand forcing her to follow.

"Where are we going ?" Alexa asked, not sure if she should let herself be dragged to gods know where.

"You'll see." Simply answered Alienor without a glance at her young companion.

They walked back inside the Castle and marched down the halls until they found themselves entering the Royal Quarters. They stopped in front of the door of the ruler's study, they knocked but no sound could be heard on the other side of the door. Knowing finding the ruler could take some time considering the size of the place, Alienor didn't wait any longer and went back on her tracks followed closely by Alexa. Alienor was already out when the sound of voices was heard, making Alexa instantly turn around.

* * *

><p>"And what do you want me to tell them ?" She asked while searching for something to wear.<p>

"If I remember correctly you're in charge around here, i'm sure you can take a day off." Answered her companion while she herself was getting dressed.

"I just came back Gabrielle and I've already spent most of my time here with you."

The Queen finished lacing her boots before approaching the ruler watching her every movements with envy in her eyes. "We need to talk about this Xena. I don't want us to live as if nothing major was happening. It's not nothing for me and I need to know we're on the same page, that i'm not the only one hoping this time we could make it work."

Xena felt a presence behind her and before she could say anything, gentle but strong hands were helping her dress, tightening the straps of her light armor.

If she were to close her eyes, she was sure she would see a younger version of themselves preparing for battle. It was routine for them back then, a soothing one never put aside. Even after a fight, when they were both too mad to address each other, Xena would feel those hands working the laces with only the excessive force used to tighten the leather as a clue betraying the woman's mood.

The nostalgia she felt when around the Amazon was more and more hard to endure and the guilt she was feeling right now was too strong to be pushed aside. It was always like this with Gabrielle, hiding things from her was physically painful. Having her at her side now made her realize that more than the love they had shared, it was the balance she brought to her life that was important. They were better together, better people, better rulers. It was so simple really but maybe too simple for them. She couldn't explain how two people so perfect for each other could keep screwing things up. It was as if the Gods were playing with them somehow, putting a curse barring them from being together. During long sleepless nights she had seriously thought about this possibility, she knew the power they both had gained when fighting side by side. She knew if they hadn't separated they would surely rule on the whole world today, the romans would be History then and they wouldn't find themselves in this situation. Yes they were too powerful together, so powerful the Gods may have thought preferable to keep them away from each other.

Or maybe they were simply not meant to be.

Power had never been one of Gabrielle's interest after all, the only thing she wanted and still want was to have her Amazons safe, and that was put in jeopardy.

"Tonight." The ruler murmured to herself. She was about to stand up when she felt very familiar lips on her shoulder then at the base of her neck. She closed her eyes relishing in the sensations before remembering her duties for the day. It took all her self-control to free herself from the Queen's light touches. "You're insatiable."

"Didn't seem to bother you the past couple of days." The Queen commented suggestively.

"Insatiable and way to cocky." She said seriously leaving the room closely followed by the Amazon. "Do you have plans for tonight ?" She asked the younger woman whose face lighted up instantly at the question.

"I don't." The Queen answered with her trademark cocky smile.

"Diner tonight then. Just the two of us. We will talk then."

"That's a date my Liege." Gabrielle said bowing mockingly.

Xena rolled her eyes at her companion's attitude, she knew perfectly well Gabrielle was acting like this on purpose, enjoying way too much to push her buttons. The Queen laughed pleased to still be able to unnerve the usually stoic woman. Before letting the ruler go, she stole one last passionate kiss enjoying to hear the familiar grunt of one frustrated Conqueror. Her smile was quickly wiped off her lips though when she realized they weren't as alone as they thought they were.

XX

Alexa watched with deep interest Queen Gabrielle get out of what she sure was the Conqueror's private quarters, she couldn't hear them but she didn't need to to understand. She had seen people act like them and she cursed herself for not understanding this sooner. She had seen the tenderness, something both rulers were trying hard to hide to anyone and the angst pouring from every word said to each other. The silent conversation, the lingering eyes, the way they touched each other without realizing it as if they couldn't be close to each other without keeping a physical link.

Now she understood why she was always feeling so out of place around the two women. Because it was what it felt like to be alone with the two rulers, it felt like you weren't even there, an intruder into a world you weren't invited to.

Of course it wasn't just friendship between them, it was so obvious now and she cursed herself because she knew that if one of them had been a man she would have seen it right away. But they were both women, both powerful rulers so how could this be ?

Watching Alienor she couldn't see an ounce of surprise on her face and when she turned to look at the two rulers, the Amazon Queen's eyes were fixed solely at her. She realized then that again she was the only one not knowing, as if being the last to know about her lineage wasn't enough, now she had to do with being the only soul in the entire Empire not in on the truth of the Conqueror's past relationship with none other than the Amazon Queen. What was she supposed to do with this information, what did it mean for her ?

"What are you two doing here ?" The ruler asked with an edge to her voice visibly less than happy to have been walked upon.

Unlike Alexa, Alienor was indeed aware of the history between the two rulers and seeing the look on the Princess's face, she understood stories of the past must not have reached Alexa's ears.

"I thought about showing Alexa part of the city. We've been working non-stop lately, we're both in need of a break."

Xena stared at the two seemingly thinking about the proposition, "It's not safe." Seeing Alienor about to object the ruler went on, "An event like the Ball we're organizing attracts a lot of people, not always the best kind. After the party, you'll have all the time you want to roam around Corinth as you please but right now it's too risky outside the stronghold's walls."

Gabrielle wasn't paying attention to anyone but Alexa, she was watching the young Princess carefully wanting to get a sense of her after what she witnessed. No doubt the girl realized the truth about her relationship with her mother but the Queen was waiting for her response to know what she was really feeling about this new information, all she could guess for the moment was the confusion which was obvious on her face. She tried to turn off the voices around her and it worked at first until she heard Xena's tone change to become so cold a familiar chill passed through her body. The tension was at its height, feeling the ruler was about to snap and not wanting Alexa to see this side of her mother anytime soon and certainely not right now, she decided it was best to intervene.

"I'll go with them."

Both Xena and Alienor turned their attention to the Queen surprised by the interruption.

"With the Royal Guards, for a candlemark or two and close enough to the stronghold to receive help if need be but I doubt we will need it" Gabrielle explained stiffly. Her tone stunned Alienor who couldn't recall anyone daring to talk to the Conqueror like this. The Queen seemed to realize this and silently asked to be left alone with the ruler, a request Alienor was more than happy to oblige.

Once sure they were out of earshot Gabrielle didn't let any chance to the other woman. "They will be safe. They need it Xena, you can't keep them locked up inside like this. Besides maybe it will give me the chance to talk with Alexa, I know this is your prerogative but-"

"We don't have to explain ourselves." The ruler interrupted, her frustration dripping for her words.

"She deserves to know about you, about your life, the things that aren't in the stories. You have to share something or you will never get close to her. And i'm sure you'd rather be the one telling her." Gabrielle said with a pointed look.

That got the ruler's attention. Of course she was not naïve enough to believe everyone around here will stop talking dirt about her just because her daughter might hear about it, not that many were brave enough to do so anyway, but nonetheless, something needed to be done about this. "I will not unload my past to her, that's something i'd rather keep far away from her."

"Xena-"

"I'll answer her questions if she has some but that's all." The ruler said pointedly effectively ending the discussion. "Take as much men as you need, I'll ask Patrocle to go with you." She ordered walking away from the Queen.

"I'm sure Patrocle has better things to do."

"That was not a request." Xena curtly said without a glance toward the Queen.

Gabrielle watched her leave and sighed sadly aware that the Conqueror had taken the lead back.

* * *

><p>It took a candlemark to get everyone ready and when Gabrielle joined the group she sighed at its size. What was supposed to be a simple walk around the city became a ridiculous demonstration of Xena's paranoïa about their safety. It didn't seem to disturb the two Princesses all that much though, Alexa was talking with Sefu avoiding the Queen at all cost while Alienor on the contrary refused to leave Gabrielle's side.<p>

"Thank you, if it weren't for you we would still be stuck inside."

"If I hadn't intervened you would be inside probably hiding from Xena. You know how to push her limits I'd give you that."

"It usually end well." Alienor casually informed.

"Usually ?"

"I admit that once or twice I misjudged the mood she was in."

The Queen laughed at that quite impressed by the nerves of the young woman.

"She had no idea." Alienor asked filling the silence, "Alexa, about your past with the Conqueror, she didn't know."

"That's not surprising, the people in Amphipolis they tried really hard and for a very long time to erase every information about Xena, going as far as forcing people to forget she was even raised there. I guess they just did the same with every new informations especially when it was concerning her love life."

Indeed they tried but thanks to Liam and his scrolls collection, Xena's memory remained intact. She guessed he was the one who introduced Alexa to the stories about the Conqueror and she suspected he was the reason Alexa never learned anything about the ruler's love life, something he must have judged too crude for the innocent girl to know about.

"Here in Corinth the people are not that ashamed, that's quite the opposite actually." Informed Alienor. "My first few moons here, I spent a lot of my time walking around the city, I could hear them talk about this wonderful Queen they seemed to regret. I thought they were talking about Corinth's former Queen so I talked to Patrocle about it thinking that maybe people were preparing an uprising. He was nice enough to not laugh at me when I came to him about it and instead he told me about you, about who you were." She paused remembering Patrocle's stories about his adventure with both women. "You were not just the Amazon Queen for them, you were _their_ Queen. They loved you, they still do."

A small smile appeared on the Queen's lips at those words, it pleased her to hear that.

"Persians are not that tolerant about relationship between two persons of the same sex." Alienor casually went on. "May I ask you something … personal ?"

The sudden caution awoke an alarm in the Queen's mind. "Of course", she said smiling reassuringly.

"I know that contrary to Xena your preferences lie solely on women." The Queen confirmed, "how can you be so sure ?"

"How can I be sure to not like men the same way I like women ?"

"Yes."

The Queen thought about it and realized she didn't have an answer that could help. "I guess I just … knew. I've met some great men in my life but none of them were of any interest for me. And i've met a lot of wonderful women and several of them with whom I shared my time with. Deep down you know where you stand, the tough part is to accept it." She waited a bit expecting Alienor to say something, when nothing came she decided to make the first step. "Did you tell her ?"

"What ?"

"Xena, did you tell her about it ?"

"You know her better than I do, do you think I would feel comfortable talking to her about this ?"

"She would listen, I know her enough to be sure of that."

"I know she would but listening and approving are two very different things. I know she will not approve not because it's a woman but because of who she is."

"Why do you think she would not approve?"

"I don't know what kind of person she was before you left but I was there after, I remember how much I struggled to get close to her and I know how hard it is for her to give me some independence today. That's why I know that, in her eyes, no one will be good enough." She stopped looking in Alexa's direction, "I sincerely hope it will be easier for her." Gabrielle followed her line of sight and wondered the exact same thing.

They followed Alienor toward the destination she had in mind for this little trip. When in front of the house Gabrielle stopped, surprised to not recognize the place. The last time she put a foot in Corinth this part of the City was less than respectable but apparently changement had been made. What looked like new properties had replaced the old and decrepit neighborhood.

Gabrielle saw Alienor enter the place without waiting for them which seemed to exasperate Patrocle. The man quickly post himself close to the young woman not without sending her a seethering look she ignored totally. Alexa stood with Sefu doing her best to put as much space between herself and the Queen as possible.

Gabrielle entered last inside the house and took her time to watch the scene infolding in front of her. Kids of all ages were surrounding Alienor, everyone chatting at the same time at the absolute delight of the woman. The Queen stood aside enjoying the view, Alexa seemed to have followed the flow of kids toward another room, Sefu close behind. The smiles on the Princesses faces were contagious and soon the Queen joined them laughing at the kids antics.

Alexa watched mesmerized as a wave of little kids ran toward Alienor, she couldn't help but smile at the display. She felt a hand in her own and looked down to find herself face to face with the toothless smile of a little girl.

"Who are you ? I never saw you here, are you Ali's friend ? What's your name ?" The little girl asked in a breath.

"Kids ! Let the women breath, will you ?!" A strong voice boomed above them all. The kids calm down almost immediately. "You brought friends this time I see." The woman said adressing Alienor.

The young woman nodded and started the introduction. "Queen Gabrielle, this is Lucia the orphanage Headmaster. Lucia, this is Queen Gabrielle of the Amazon Nation and here is Princess Alexa of the Greek Empire."

Gabrielle and Alexa nodded at the older woman who stood frozen in place. It didn't last though and when she recovered she turned furiously toward Alienor, "Bringing Royals here without notice, are you serious ? Why didn't you tell me when you came here a few days ago, I could have prepared something !"

Patrocle's seethering look from earlier was nothing compared to the one he was sending now in Alienor's direction, again she ignored him but with less aplomb this time.

They spent almost a candlemark playing with the kids, now Queen Gabrielle was telling a story in front of an already conquered public.

Taking advantage of the reprieve, Alienor approached the young Princess, who was sitting alone seemingly deep in thought.

"It is a bit overwhelming at first."

Without moving her eyes from whatever she was watching, Alexa answered, "They're great kids." Alienor chose to not say anything to that, feeling the Princess wasn't finished and smiled to herself when her thought was confirmed.

"I know why you brought me here. You do realize we are like them ... you, me, Queen Gabrielle, we're all orphans. And even though we are Queen or Princesses those kids here who have nothing, absolutely nothing, are more happy than we are." She turned around suddenly, a toughness in her eyes which wasn't there before, "That's why we're here, for you to show me that despite everything there are people who have it worst than I do ?"

"I wanted to show you what you could accomplish thanks to your new position. Look around you, does this place look old to you ?" Alexa shood her head in answer. "No? Well it's because it's not. Before this place opened, the orphans of the City had to work or steal to feed themselves, the lucky ones would find a good soul to put a roof over their head for the night but what of the others ? Look at the walls, look at those smiles, that's what people like us can do for the less fortunate. You can help because your voice have more power than theirs. Even if you have lost everything, never forget that you're still part of the lucky ones."

XX

The goodbyes took a little longer than she expected but she didn't mind. All she wanted was to have a word for every kids, an answer to every questions asked, a hug for those brave enough to ask.

When she stept outside, Patrocle was in a heated discussion with Alienor, she couldn't hear what it was about but she guessed it might concern the comment made earlier by Lucia, the Headmaster.

Gabrielle chose to stand aside until the end of the exchange. As soon as the duo separated she joined Patrocle.

"Problem ?"

The man sighed at the question visibly frustrated by the whole situation, "I thought you were an handful but this girl I swear she's even worse."

"Excuse me ?"

Patrocle missed the angry look sent his way and went on instead with the reason of his little talk with Alienor.

"She's not supposed to leave the stronghold alone but it doesn't stop her from doing just that. You heard the Headmaster, Alienor came here while we were traveling back from Amphipolis. I know she came alone because otherwise I would know about it."

"What are you going to do ?"

"If I don't tell anyone, she will do it again, I know it. And if something were to happen to her I will never forgive myself."

The Royal Guards were finishing to secure their surrounding, gesturing to Patrocle they were good to go. The man ordered them to start moving but to Gabrielle's surprise he didn't move.

"She built this place you know" he informed looking at the orphanage. "She worked for it to happen, pestering Xena about it until she relented. It took moons to finalized it and she was there every step of the way. It's a good cause, she's taking all these risks for those kids inside and I know she won't be allowed here anytime soon if Xena learns about her unschedule visit. I can't do that to her."

"She has to take her responsabilities."

Patrocle looked hard at the Queen, "She does, everyday." And it was true but how could the Queen know ? "I was in Persepolis that day," he started as a way of explanation "I've seen what they did to her family, what they almost did to her, and I know she saw way more than we did. We all began to feel protective of her. I don't always agree with Xena's ways with the girl but that's not my place to say anything about it. What i'm trying to say is that I watched things change Gabrielle. Since the girl became of age, Xena started to ask more and more of her. With her new responsabilities she has to sneak out from the stronghold to come here and I only see her alive again when she comes through those doors."

"She's the heir of the Persian throne Patrocle, she's not your average woman."

"It's more than that." He said gravely.

"More than what ?"

"It's just …" He hesitated but refrained himself finally, "Just know that I'm not sure it's in everyone best interest to let her be pressured into a situation she didn't ask for."

On that the man left the Queen's side and joined his men at the head of the patrol. Gabrielle watched him leave with confusion but couldn't deny the uneasy feeling she felt at his words. One thing she disliked was to be given hints without the whole story. She knew Patrocle was aware of something happening, something he wasn't at ease with and it was making her nervous. The man was a wonderful stratege, very intuitive, qualities that explained his place at Xena's side. The Queen could honestly say that he was the only person around here who knew Xena as much as she did so she knew his words were to be taken seriously. The problem was that she had no idea what this meant and she cursed herself to not have seen anything until someone told her about it. She should have been working but instead she spent all her time with her eyes glued to the Conqueror.

Walking back toward the stronghold, the Queen saw Alexa trailing behind them, seeing this as her chance to share a word with the girl she turned around and joined her. They walked side by side in silence, Gabrielle well aware the girl was ignoring her on purpose and as comical as it could be at first, it became frustrating after awhile.

"It would be easier if you shared what's on your mind, don't you think ?"

Alexa kept staring ahead of them, "Why should I share anything with you ?" she harshly asked. "You could have told me the truth half a dozen time when we were traveling toward Corinth but you prefered to lie to me. I'm tired of people keeping things from me."

"It's not that simple Alexa. Our past with Xena, it's complicated."

"How complicated it is to tell me that you were together and that you still are."

"Because it's not that simple !" Gabrielle said forcefully grabbing the girl's arm forcing her to face her. "I thought you deserved a better explanation than one given on the back of a horse in the middle of nowhere. I wanted you to have the whole version and not just mine. I wanted you to know the truth and not some twisted version told by an impostor."

"We arrived days ago, you had plenty of opportunities to tell me but you both prefered to spend your free time making up for lost time." she said with insolence forgetting who she had in front of her.

"Careful Alexa." Gabrielle warned the girl. Unfortunately, Alexa was tired of people telling her what to do and frankly she didn't think she would be capable of stopping herself now, she needed to get this out of her chest now because she knew she would never have the guts to do it ever again. So she threw all caution to the wind and chose to not listen to the Queen's warning.

"I'm sharing what i'm thinking, isn't it what you wanted ?" she said taunting. "Because I have a lot more to say like : are you together or are you both using each other for a few nights before parting ways again ?" That was all it took for Gabrielle to lose it, her arm moved on instinct and before she could think about what she was doing she heard the resoning sound of her hand on the girl's cheek. She saw the surprise on Alexa's face before her eyes fuelled with tears. The Queen knew the others stopped at the commotion but she didn't care.

"You are free to think what you want" She said darkly closing the gap between them, "but I won't let you disrespect your mother or myself for that matter. Whatever happened or is happening between us is ours to share in our own time. I'm sorry you had to learn about us that way, believe me this was not what I wanted but it doesn't give you the right to insult us."

Despite her best effort to keep her composure, Alexa couldn't keep the tears from spilling from her eyes, what she managed though was to not cup her aching cheek even if she desperately wanted to. The Queen was talking to her but she wasn't really listening, her preoccupation directed to what she had just said to the woman. She felt a light push on her back and realized the Queen wanted her to start walking again, she didn't hesitate and walked straight ahead knowing every eyes were on her at the moment.

Gabrielle watched the girl leave her side and Patrocle take her place. "She inheritates her mother's temper." The man commented trying to lighten the mood. Seeing the frown on his friend's face he tried to reassure, "You did right Gabrielle. The girl is lucky Xena wasn't there to hear her say this."

"She was right … We should have been honest with her right away, we can't afford to be so self-centered, not anymore."

Patrocle wanted to say something back about what they already had sacrificed, that now could be their chance at happiness but he didn't have the time. Indeed, they were barely inside the stronghold that one of his men ran toward him informing him the Conqueror had called for a council's meeting. His blood went cold knowing right away the reason of the meeting.

* * *

><p>Voices were swirling around her. What was the best position to take while facing the Romans. To her astonishment, it seemed like they wanted to fight and not simply let the dirty work to the Centaurs. Her top advisors were in this room surrounding her, talking animatedly about what should be done.<p>

She wasn't listening to what was said, too focused that she was on her own thoughts. The Romans were always a thorn in her foot for way too long, an imminent threat. When stabilizing the Empire, she decided to wait and see rather than satisfiying her hunger for battle by confronting them. The Empire needed to breathe, to have a taste of what peace was like. She was in need of this too, rushing into a war at the time would have been a mistake, the risks were then too great to lose herself.

What was keeping her now ?

The voices were louder and louder and it irritated her. She stood up suddenly effectively silencing everyone.

"Brutus wants revenge. Queen Gabrielle precipitated his downfall. Now that he has the trust of the Senate again he wants to make the most of it and make those who wronged him pay."

"Not everyone in the Senate trust him. He still has his detractors and they will jump to the first occasion to get rid of him once and for all."

"He needs to prove them he deserves his place, he will do everything to achieve that."

"It could be his ultimate mistake then. Brutus has a personal score to settle with Queen Gabrielle. We should use this." Xena recognized Patrocle's voice and it made her smile. The man was always the first to defend the Amazon Queen but she wondered briefly if he'd keep doing this at the expense of the Empire.

"Brutus knows that all he has to do is destroy what the Queen took so long to build. Killing every last Amazons would be much more effective than killing the Queen herself. He knows what it will do to her. The question is : will we be the Empire who let the Romans free to commit such a thing ?"

"And getting troops in Amazon's land will be a declaration of war. Why should we give our life to save the ones of the Amazons ?"

"Because that's what their Queen did for us not so long ago. She is part of the reason we're sitting here right now but it seems you all have forgotten." The anger in Patrocle's tone was unmistakable. "We all knew this would come, that peace was temporary. The Romans will always be a menace for Greece's stability, this is our chance."

She fixed her eyes on the landscape outside the window, needing the diversion. She was listening though, a picture of what was about to come forming in her mind.

"What's Queen Gabrielle opinion on all this ?"

"She doesn't know. But it's only a matter of time before the news reach her ears."

"Is it wise then to keep her so close to you my Lord ? We don't know what she is capable of after all."

It was Patrocle again who came to the rescue of the Queen's values. "Queen Gabrielle would never attempt something against the Empire."

How could he be so sure of that ?

If there was one thing Gabrielle was protective of it was her Amazons. Thinking of Gabrielle as a possible threat was ludicrous yes but even herself could not predict how the Queen would react to what she would consider betrayal. The Queen always put her sisters first, her Nation was her life, always as been to Xena's dismay.

This was the reason of the lies, this was why she allowed the Queen to be in Corinth because she knew she could lose her for good this time.

Her reasoning would not convinced the Queen, she was sure of that and this was what she feared deep down. She had no way of keeping her away from harm and even if the thought crossed her mind, she could not keep her imprisoned.

There was so little time left to make a move and so few possibilities. She needed to protect her Empire from harm, she needed to avoid unnecessary death in her ranks and a war with the Romans would prevent that … a war would be a bloodbath on both sides. She was certain her Empire would win in the end but she could not predict when the war would end, it could last weeks or it could last years. Was she ready to go back in a battle of this scale ?

Doubt crept up in her mind.

The last moons her goal has been to settle down, to enjoy the peace surrounding her and of course that's the moment her enemies chose to come after her ...

She knew what she needed to do but for the first time since Amphipolis' attack she didn't want to follow her instinct. Facing her men she didn't hesitate though.

"Send Brutus a formal invitation to the Ball." Outraged voices erupted at the announce.

"With all due respect My Lord, this is outrageous. Welcoming a Roman on Greek soil for such an event … This is an insult ! The Empire is supposed to meet his new Princess, how can you associate the romans to this day ?"

How could she indeed ?

* * *

><p><strong>I apologize for the mistakes, i read it quickly before posting, probably too quickly though ... <strong>


	18. Chapter 18

**Hello everyone ! Hope you're all good.**

**I wanted to post something before the end of this year and take advantage of it to thank you, for reading obviously but also for your kind words. Writing this is not easy, it takes time that i don't have anymore but know that it still thrills me so i'll keep going and hope you will keep follow the story. **

**I wish you a happy and safe end of year.**

**EDIT 10/04/15 : This story is not finished. I've been receiving messages (thank you!) so to be clear, i'm not done with this. It's always the same, work came in the way ... sorry for the wait.**

She glanced at the younger girl hunched over a book not far from her. She didn't know why she was still here, waiting with her. Maybe it was this sense of protection she felt, something she couldn't explain, or maybe it was just a way to not be alone.

When they entered the stronghold, Patrocle was immediately called to attend an important meeting, they didn't know more about it but not long after Queen Gabrielle left their side too. Alexa wasn't aware of this but herself she felt it was more than it seemed. She knew something was happening, it was hovering over them since the Conqueror entered Corinth with Queen Gabrielle and Alexa at her side.

A danger was looming, she could feel it in the air.

When she glanced again at the girl, she almost felt jealous of her innocence, her not knowing. Living without the burden of being overly suspicious was surely easier but she wasn't raised like that. No … being suspicious of everything and everyone was one of the first teaching she received, study and recognize the signs of a futur conflict was another. She learned to trust her guts and what her guts were telling her wasn't reassuring.

"How long are we supposed to wait here ?" Alexa asked.

"Until the end of the meeting."

She didn't know how long it would be and that's why she chose to wait here in the Conqueror's personal library. Here she would know the exact moment the meeting would be over and hear the whispers of what went on inside the room.

"Why are we ?"

"You know why."

"I didn't mean-"

"It doesn't matter." Alienor interrupted. "She is the Queen of an allied Nation, a Queen you insulted. I know you don't realize, I get it. Queen Gabrielle won't ask for punishment even if she should. But know that your statut will not protect you from the Conqueror's wrath or the one of Queen Gabrielle."

The Princess flinched at the words but recovered quickly. "You don't care that she lies."

"She's Greece's ruler ..."

"It doesn't give her the right."

"It gives her every right !" Alienor loudly said losing her patience. "She doesn't owe you any explanations, she doesn't owe anyone any for that matter. She's Greece's ruler before being your mother." She stated emotionless.

Outside the library, voices and footsteps could be heard which told Alienor the meeting was over. "The sooner you accept the reality of your life here, the better Alexa." She said before going out and joining Greece's elite entirely missing the hurt expression on the Princess' face.

* * *

><p>The Conqueror put an end to her Council meeting. Everyone stood up to leave when a guard entered hastily.<p>

"My Lord" The guard bowed, "an Amazon just passed the gate."

"Where is she now ?" Patrocle demanded.

The guard turned toward the Conqueror's second in command. "We informed Queen Gabrielle of the arrival ..." The man stopped talking when he heard the commotion that his words created. "She was bearing a message with Amazon's seal." He hesitated. "I thought ..."

"Leave. All of you." Ordered the Conqueror. Despite their earlier words of caution about their Lord safety, no one defied the order.

No one except Patrocle who remained standing not far, waiting. The action didn't escape the ruler.

"I thought I didn't need protection." Xena taunted him. "Or are you here to insure the safety of someone else ?"

"My fealty is-"

"You're repeating yourself Patrocle and it's not making it more true. I wonder who you are trying to convince here."

The man avoided eye contact. His jaw tight, he needed all his self control to not respond to his Lord's words. He watched as the Conqueror walked calmly around the room as if nothing was happening. He wanted to ask her how she could stay this calm considering what they both knew was about to come but he kept his mouth shut.

He thought things were getting better, that finally happiness was reaching his Lord's heart. The sky was supposed to be cloudless from now on, peace seemed to be there to last and the Empire's Leader was righting some wrongs.

Finally things were falling into places …

They were supposed to settle and grow old side by side surrounded by friends and family. But looking around him he saw no one, just like in his nightmares it was just the two of them.

He had a family outside these walls, a wife and children he loved but his friend and ruler was alone. Even if she would argue to the contrary, he _knew _… he knew these past few years she tried to put the pieces together, to fabricate herself a family. Keeping Darius' daughter at her side was the first step and to his astounishment it worked, it pushed her to look for her past and to reach out to its ghosts. She found lost friends and her lost daughter and she found her lost love.

All the pieces were there about to be completed and to give her what she was not able to conquer until then, something her riches couldn't buy, something her strength couldn't bend : the will of one woman, a Queen even the Great Conqueror couldn't possess.

"I won't stop you because this is not between us Patrocle, this is between your conscience and yourself. You saved my life enough time for me to give you this choice." If she was being honest, it was more a way out than a choice. She was offering him to free him from his promise and to let him swear allegiance to someone else. "But know that they will be your only refuge, your last home. Death will be the only one welcoming you back on Greece's lands."

Leaving her side for the Queen, was it really what she was asking him ?

"I always thought I would serve you both one day. That I will be the witness of something people would still talk about hundreds years from now. You two were supposed to build the greatest Empire the world has yet to see, a peaceful place for all of us to strive." Patrocle said passionately. "You will never be whole without her Xena. This emptiness you feel, the one you desperately try to fill, I know you realized long ago she's the cause of it."

"I've lived the biggest part of my life without her and I survived."

"Yes you did … survive …" The man managed to say, emotion lacing his thoughts. "You left Amphipolis because you were looking for something, power you thought but it wasn't it. The years at her side are the only period in your life you lived, really lived and since she left you went back to look for something you thought was missing from your life. You found a lonely girl in a foreign kingdom that you brought here, and then your own daughter but it wasn't _it_."

_And it will never be._

"You always assumed we did not fight enough to save our relationship. We're aware of our failure, we always knew what we were losing. But it's not just about us Patrocle, it never was." And that was true because there was only one way for them to really be together and she understood it early on. "Long ago we entertained the idea of leaving everything behind us, our people, our army, our responsabilities. I knew it was the only way to be truly free. I wanted us to be selfish for once, to live for ourselves, together. It was a dream we shared but it was just that, a dream. Leaving would mean condamning the people we pledged to protect, the people who entrusted us with their life, their future … I would have chosen her before Greece in a heartbeat and without regret, I didn't care about what would become of the Empire."

"But she did." Quietly said Patrocle, a sadness lacing his words. Of course Gabrielle cared.

The Conqueror nodded softly. "I looked for another way, a compromise. I tried but it was already too late. When you lead, your life is not entirely yours anymore and we thought we could live with that but we couldn't. I reached a point where I realized our lives were not meant to be lived side by side."

Those last words hung in the air and the disbelief in the man's eyes pained her. She knew what he was thinking, he thought she was giving up and in a way he was right. She will not fight for the Amazon, not this time. No … she will do what needed to be done to keep her Empire standing.

Voices outside the room suddenly got their attention. Patrocle went over to see what it was about but before he had time to reach the door, it opened with force letting the Amazon Queen enter. Patrocle took a step back seeing the state of the woman. She was followed by one of her sisters, the messenger it seemed who looked as startled as he was by what was happening. The guards standing outside entered the room as well and rushed to attempt to stop the Queen but were stopped by a simple gesture from the Conqueror.

The two rulers looked at each other and Xena could see a fire in Gabrielle's eyes, she could feel it burn her as well. This side of the Queen was not foreign to her but she couldn't remember a time she had seen it outside a battlefield and it certainly never was directed at her. A sense of proud weirdly came to the surface seeing how the Queen managed to stay in control because she knew how hard it was, how easy it would be to just act on it, she could just fight her right now and be done with it. But of course Gabrielle was more than that, she was a bard, a Queen before being a warrior, she would never let anger and revenge taint her actions.

Their staring context lasted, Xena could sense Patrocle beginning to get antsy not knowing how to act to not aggravate the situation while the Amazon soldier who entered with the Queen was standing mouth agape looking at her, fear flashing in her eyes. She was young, maybe Alienor's age, surely it was the first time the woman went outside Amazon's lands alone, the first time she was standing before another ruler. And Xena knew she was afraid for her Queen well-being but also afraid to stand before her, before the Conqueror. Among all the great warriors in the Amazon Nation, they sent a young warrior, a novice, alone …

"Patrocle, offer the Queen's Royal guard a place to rest."

"I'm not … I am a simple messenger" the Amazon warrior said hesitant "Huh … Lord Conqueror" she nervously added.

Xena glanced at the Queen raising an eyebrow questioningly. Gabrielle knew what this look meant : how could her Regent let her defenseless knowing the gravity of the situation, how could she let her Queen at the mercy of every threat ? She felt the disdain, the superiority and it enraged her even more.

"Leave us Eris." Ordered the Queen to her soldier.

The woman bowed and did as told. Patrocle hesistated but a look from his Lord decided him to leave as well.

Both rulers now stood alone in the room. Gabrielle loudly pinned a scroll on the table next to her.

Her body trembling from anger she tried to say as calmly as she could muster, "You thought I would never know ? That by some twisted way I would remain in the dark. I knew you never considered me as your equal when it comes to warfare Xena but I never thought you saw me as naïve."

"I did what I had to do."

"You lied to my face !" She yelled. "You lied to get me into your bed. You used me." Tears were coming to her eyes but she didn't let them fall. "Everything you said lately, you said it knowing it was what I needed you to say ..."

_After everything we went through ... _Gabrielle thought as her eyes locked with the blue ones of the Conqueror.

"I should have known you would never forgive. It always was about revenge, you wanted me to pay." She said tightly taking her anger on the scroll in her hand rather than on the Conqueror. Realizing her action she let go of Ephiny's message and turned her attention back on the ruler. "You won Xena … I hope you're happy." She said resigned by the turn of event.

Her whole body was aching but her heart remained strong, this time she will not let herself be drowned in self-pity, she had a war to win. She heard Xena call her name but she kept walking, she was reaching the door when she felt a strong hand pull her away. Instinctively she fought it which seemed to surprise her counterpart. With swift movement she had Greece's ruler pinned against the wall a knife to her throat, the action surprising them both but her grip on Greece's ruler didn't falter anyway. She felt Xena's body relax against her and she knew it meant the woman will not resist anymore, that she was giving up. And it angered her enough to bring the blade closer, looking for a reaction, pleading for one even. But when she crossed blue eyes she only saw resignation.

"Do it." the Queen barely heard.

_"Gabrielle ? ... Gabrielle !" _

_The woman turned toward the voice realizing only now it seemed that she was not alone anymore._

_"Ah finally ! I've been standing here for ages, where were you ?" The other woman asked while making a gesture asking for help to get out of her armor. _

_"Sorry, it seems I let my mind wander too far away from here." _

_Ephiny looked concerned at her. "Something bothering you ?" _

_The genuine interest in her well-being touched the young Queen. "Nothing. I was writing that's all, and you know how I get when I'm writing." She said smiling gently. Ephiny smiled also relieved to hear this. _

_"Will you help me with this then ?" She asked pointing to her armor. "I can't get it off of me." _

_"Have you really tried ?" Gabrielle asked with mirth._

_"Of course I tried ! You know I would not have bothered you with this otherwise." _

_"You know I will never say no when it comes to help you get out of your garments." And she proved it in kissing every bit of skin free from said garments. _

_Laughing, Ephiny gratefully let her Queen help her. "You know I can't stay right ? They're waiting for me on the training field." She heard the Queen grunt in answer. "What were you writing about ?" Ephiny asked walking toward the desk. She reached for the scroll but was stopped by Gabrielle._

_"It's not finished" Awkwardly said the Queen while keeping the scroll out of the warrior's reach. Ephiny didn't insist knowing Gabrielle didn't like to share unfinished work. _

_"I'll let you to your work then. Let me read it when it's done, I'm sure it will be great." The warrior said while leaving the Queen's quarter. _

_Gabrielle watched her leave, relieved. She put the scroll down on her desk, reading it one last time. She watched as tears were tainting the ink and she smiled sadly at the fact. Tears were supposed to make the pain disappear for awhile like it was doing with these words, she could cry above them and with time the words will disappear ... it was supposed to work the same way with her pain. It wasn't though ... Xena was still there, everyday invading her mind. __She thought putting her struggles in words would help and she still hoped it will because she needed to move forward. __She had Ephiny now, she had her Amazons. __She took one last look at the words __before throwing the scroll away._

The Queen shook her head trying to get rid of the remembrance but the forgotten words went back to her, like a fire crawling under a skin, burning her resolve.

"DO IT !"

_If I don't breathe I won't hurt anymore_

_And if I'm no longer here you will be free from the pain too_

_I look at you and I pray_

_Not to the Gods but to your strength_

_I'm asking every time for the same thing_

_For you to stop being afraid_

_Freedom is close, I promise_

_My tears will soon be happy ones_

_For so long I've waited_

_Now is the time_

_Only one thing haunting me_

_Will you forgive me ?_

* * *

><p><strong>I didn't expect the question but to be clear : this story is not finished. The parts in italics are flashbacks. I assure you the story I'm writing will not end up being a dream nor will it end up as a "what if" story. <strong>

**If it gets too confusing don't hesitate to share it :) **


	19. Chapter 19

**After all this time ... chapter 19, finally. **

**It follows directly after chap 18.**

**I'm really sorry for the wait. I received your messages, thank you all for those, It's always really nice to read them. **

"DO IT !"

The yell broke the Queen train of thought. She looked back into the blue eyes staring at her and let go of her grip on the woman. Looking at the weapon in her hand she seemed to just realize what transpired between them. Disgusted at herself for reacting like this she got rid of the knife and got as much space between herself and the ruler as possible.

Everything was falling apart … again and Gabrielle realized she almost did something she would never have forgiven herself for. She took her head in her hands at the thoughts of what could have happened.

"Gabrielle ..."

The women shook her head, "Don't … please don't." She said almost pleading.

They stood there in silence for what seemed like ages, the Queen trying to get a hold of herself and Xena waiting for the woman to say something. She knew Gabrielle was doing everything in her power to regain some control.

For everyone outside, the chance the Amazon Queen had to be a danger for the Conqueror was slim but Xena knew better. She knew the Amazon Queen could be lethal in a fight. Earlier was the perfect example of that, she wasn't expecting this reaction from the Queen and she couldn't fight her back, not because she didn't want to but because she simply couldn't. The Queen could have killed her, she had been reckless and she knew that in another circomstances Gabrielle would have called her up on it and rightly so.

"Just … tell me why." Gabrielle asked her back still turned on the Conqueror.

"Because you won't survive this. If you go back Gabrielle, you will die. You can't win against Rome."

"That's why I came here in the first place, to ask for your help. Rome is at your door and you don't move a finger !" The Queen said enraged. "I remember you not so long ago readying yourself to take on Rome, to get your revenge ..."

"Isn't that why you left ? Because of my hunger for war ?" Questioned the ruler incredulous.

"This is different." Answered the Queen, her words making the older woman scoff.

"Of course it is now that you're not the one profiting from it." Tough but true, it was easy to share wise words when in peace but when your life was hanging in the balance you were seeing things differently. "Going into a war with the Romans now will cost us thousands of lives and will tear apart the Empire. You're asking me to risk everything I build."

"And you're asking me to hide here while my sisters are getting slaughtered." The thought awoke a desperate feeling inside the former bard. "I will fight to protect my Nation Xena and if I have to die for that then so be it."

The statement would appear blunt and naive coming from anyone else but Xena knew the Queen was thinking every words that came out of her mouth right now and it was unbearable for her to hear.

"It's all Brutus is waiting for, to have your head at his feet !"

"Then do something." The Queen said forceful.

Green eyes were staring into blue ones, the first pair trying to convince while the other was trying to not cave.

"All I can offer you is another way." Finally said the dark haired woman.

* * *

><p>It was not breakfast that all the Castle was whispering about the feud between the Conqueror and the Amazon Queen.<p>

Alienor was roaming the stronghold's grounds since the end of the meeting the day before, first to learn everything that she could about what was happening and second because she could not find her sleep after the revelations she received.

After breakfast she decided to go look for the ruler and see the damages. Different things were said about the confrontation between the two rulers, some were so somber that Alienor prayed that the gossips were indeed only gossips.

Not finding the ruler in her quarters, the Princess looked for her in the only other place she knew the woman would most likely be and indeed when she pushed the door of the private armory, she found her.

Training here was often the ruler only way of escape, the only one which worked in fact. A few were allowed here, indeed at the exception of herself Alienor only remembered ever seeing Patrocle in this room. Not wanting to intrude she waited for the ruler to finish, and took advantage of it to watch the skills of the seasoned warrior.

Only when she saw the woman stop that Alienor approached. Silently she helped tidy up the place, putting the weapons in their rightful place. Soon though, the silence became too heavy for her.

"I'm sorry." She silently said stopping her movements.

"For what ?" Asked the Conqueror handing her her sword.

Alienor took her time before answering, toying with the ruler's weapon. "I just … wished for it to work out between you two." She tried hesitant. "I know you love her."

Of course Xena knew that words of her fight with the Amazon Queen wouldn't get past the Princess' ears, nothing could get past those ears. "It's not always enough to love someone."

"But it's what matters." The Princess said with certainty. "For so long I believed what people were saying about you, even if I knew they had no idea who you really were. It was easier I guess to see you as this heartless barely human being they were describing, easier to think you were the bad guy. When I think back I realize how foolish it was of me to think that way … because all I'm seeing now is the woman who showed me one can be loved unconditionally, a woman I love like a mother ..." She turned her gaze toward the one of the ruler wanting to convey her words. "You're not alone, even if you feel like it, you're not."

"I know." _That's why I'm doing what I'm doing, because this is not just about me anymore, _she thought to herself.

But for the first time in a very long time she didn't know what was about to come, she could only see mist when thinking of the future. It's been a long time since she had to plan something while being totally blind. It would have excited her in the past … advancing in the dark ... it would have been a challenge. But back then she had nothing to lose.

"They can't see us as weak. Brutus needs to understand you won't let them do as they please. You have to remind him and everyone else who's in charge."

"I see my advisors still can't manage to keep things from you." Xena said lightly before addressing the Princess with a more serious tone. "I hardly think anyone out there would dare describe me as weak. Would you?"

"Of course not. But letting the Romans take on an allied Nation without retribution …"

"What's the depth of our relationship with the Amazon Nation, politically speaking ?" she asked interrupting the young woman.

The question stunned Alienor. She knew what the ruler was doing, she was testing her, exactly what she was doing after her lessons with her tutors. Memories of dinners spent discussing politics, geography, history went back to her head. Tiring nights, but she cherished these moments. Somehow right now it seemed less like a simple test of her knowledges and more like a lecture.

"Greece signed a treaty letting them lands in exch-"

"-I didn't." Xena interrupted her again. "The Amazon Nation and the Centaurs signed a peace treaty ending the war between them under Greece mediation."

"You gave them lands."

"We all had to compromise. Greece wasn't in war with the Centaurs, Amazons were. Again, the Empire was just there as a mediator between the two."

"The lands were a gift." She said stunned when she saw the ruler nod at her. "Your alliance with the Amazons was never officially put on scroll. It lays solely on your relationship with Queen Gabrielle. That's why Brutus is so confident. He knows you can't intervene without going into war with the Roman Empire."

"Brutus agreed to a parlay. We will take advantage of the Ball to meet."

"Queen Gabrielle agreed to it ?"

"Yes and I expect you to attend."

"Why ?"

"Diplomacy will always be your most valuable weapon. It must always come first. And despite what your tutors must have told you, It's not something you'll learn in scrolls." She took her sword back from the Princess, putting it back on her back. "It's time you learn what it means to rule Alienor."

_Why now? _The young woman asked herself. Maybe she should have voiced it out loud but something kept her from doing just that. Was it the hardness she could witness on the ruler face or her own fear of the answer, she couldn't say. What she knew though was to trust the instinct of Greece's ruler.

"How is it going with Alexa ?" Xena asked changing the subject.

"She's lost." Was the matter of fact answer of Alienor who felt for the girl. "She doesn't deserve to be kept in the dark. She deserves to know everything and it should come from you. Trust me on this Xena, it's better if she knows. You don't know how thanksful I was that you were honest with me when I first came here. That's when I knew I could trust you."

Nothing came in answer so Alienor took this as her cue to leave the Conqueror's side. Before reaching the door she heard shuffling behind her, when she turned around the ruler was a few feet from her, her hand outstretched in front of her, a necklace hanging from it. The Princess recognized the jewelry right away. Looking up she could see an identical one dangling at the ruler's neck.

The chain was made of pure gold with the Empire's crest dangling from it, the one designed by the Conqueror herself when she raised an army for the first time, the one which was on all the flags on every gates of every cities from here to Chin to Egypt.

"I was meaning to give it to you before you left for Athens but I wasn't sure you would have accepted it at the time."

The significance of this was not lost on the Princess of course, so much so that she didn't know what to do or say.

Everyone in the Empire was well aware that to replicate this piece of jewelry could send you directly to jail for Gods's only know how long. Replicate the Crown Jewels was indeed a crime, the piece should be unique and stay that way with only the Great Conqueror wearing it. It was said to have been made with the first treasure captured by the warrior when she was just a young girl. Xena never acknowledged nor denied that so no one could know the truth behind the myth but the meaning stayed though and it was what mattered in the end.

Only the Conqueror's heirs could claim the right to wear this.

"I was waiting to give you this before talking to Alexa. Actually I wanted to give it to you the day I made up my mind and decided to travel to Amphipolis. You were supposed to go with me, I wanted you to see the village. I don't think I really knew why I wanted you to come at the time ... I understood when I met her."

Alienor couldn't believe her ears. It was a statement of the place she could pretend in the ruler family tree, it was a political statement, an officialisation of her true place beside her, proof that the blood they didn't share will not matter anymore.

"You will be related to me from now on, if you accept it of course."

"But it goes beyond this." Alienor knew the laws of the Greek Empire, the one changed by the Conqueror herself when she arrived in power. The oldest child was the one to inheritate the titles of the parents no matter the gender of the child, be them a child by blood or not. "I'm older than Alexa, how is it fair to her?"

"It's not a gift I'm giving you Alienor. This is a promise of a life of sacrifices, of sleepless nights, of terrifying situations and terrible headaches." But it could also be a life with so much power in her hands she'll be able to change things for everyone under her rule. "If anything," The Conqueror went on, "you will be doing her a favor accepting it."

"How can you be sure ?"

"I trust your guts and your head but more importantly I trust your heart. I know that every decisions you'll make in the future will be for the greater good."

_And I'm giving Greece a chance to be led by a great ruler, a way better leader than I could ever be, _the ruler said to herself.

With tears threatening to spill from her eyes, Alienor reach with hesitation for the gold chain. Taking it in her hand she felt its heaviness while gazing with intensity at the design the chain was supporting : a red lion breathing fire, a sword in one of its giant paw. The power of all of Greece Empire.

"Try it", gently requested the dark haired woman.

Alienor did as she was told, taking her long blond hair in one hand to put the chain around her neck.

"How does it feel?"

"Heavy." The Princess answered chuckling.

"It always is at the beginning as to not forget the burden of your task. With time you will get used to the weight meaning you're finding your marks in this new world. And if comes a day when you don't feel the weight anymore, it will mean that it's time to give it away."

Alienor knew the importance of those words shared by the ruler, she promised herself to remember them so as to be able to, one day, share the piece of wisdom herself.

"But in the meantime, you can never take it off, do you understand?"

The young Princess nodded, "I do."

She took the pendant in her hand one last time before turning her gaze toward the older woman. Blue eyes were staring at her with a tenderness she's been craving for. The woman never was overly affectionate with her or with anybody that she knew of for that matter – at the exception of Queen Gabrielle she guessed, a thought she would not dare share out loud – but sometimes Alienor had been privy of the soft side of the warrior.

Indeed more than once the ruler enquired about her health when sick going as far as keeping her company during those times. She remembered a time spent in Egypt in the Queen's and Pharaoh's palace. She remembered her burned flesh after staying too long under the sun playing with the Egyptian princes and princesses. She remembered the pain she felt when they had to treat her to avoid her wounds to get infected and the presence at her side during all that. Xena had been there everyday during this horrible time, she remembered the lecture she received about being told beforehand that her pale skin wasn't used to such sunlight and the need to protect it from it – something of course she put aside mostly because the scent of the product given to her by Master Elpis smelled awful, so much so that she prefered to risk it rather than smell that bad around the Royals of this part of the world. But aside from this, Xena never left her side, refusing to let anyone else tend to her wounds. She had been there to calm her and reassure her when the fear to be marked for life never stopped coming to her mind.

But most of all, Xena was at her side every anniversary of the day Persepolis was defeated, even though the ruler should have been out there celebrating it because for Greece it meant glory, not terror and agony.

"More than ever it means you can't leave here without Royal Guards at your side, no matter when, no matter why."

Despite the gentle tone used by the ruler, Alienor could sense a warning in the comment, it was enough for her to understand the woman knew all about her unschedule and lonely escapades around the city.

_The first sacrifice of this new journey will be my freedom then, _she told herself.

"Do you understand that aswell ?" The ruler insisted.

"I do."

The Conqueror nodded before a small smile appeared on her lips. "I'm proud to have you as my heir." It didn't take long for those words to resonate and Alienor didn't hesitate to walk toward the older woman and crush into her. "Never doubt that." The ruler said envelopping the blond Princess in her arms.

It was strange for her to feel so thanksful considering the burden that was just passed on to her but now it wasn't what was important. She tried to compose herself but realized quickly she wouldn't be able to. The sense of belonging she has felt these past years was finally recognized, now she officially was part of a lineage she didn't despise, now she was part of a family she loved.

* * *

><p>Falling into the steps of the guard she was following, Alexa thought about the reason she had been called by the Conqueror. It's been a day since their visit of the orphanage, she thought she would have heard news of the ruler before then but no.<p>

The atmosphere was tense inside the stronghold, whispers were heard between servants, she could sense the difference in attitude too. Everyone seemed to have vanished, Alienor, Queen Gabrielle were nowhere to be found. Not that she would have had the time to talk with them. The Ball was soon and she still had preparation to make, hours spent choosing a proper dress to wear, nothing too dark nor too flashy, something discrete but not too discrete. People had been at her side all day long and in the end her choice wasn't even considered. She didn't care though, she didn't know anything about clothes or what was okay to wear at such event. She trusted them and that was what was expected of her.

The soldier opened the door of the Conqueror's quarters for her and she entered realizing it was the first time she was invited here. Left alone, she entered and looked with surprise at the simplicity of the room. A fireplace stood at her right with cushions spread in front of it, a table with only two chairs stood on the other side of the room. The room in itself looked bland but the balcony on the other hand was beautifully decorated. It looked more like a small garden than a balcony. A couch and an armchair were strategically placed a few feet from the first plants of the garden, close enough to be protected from the sunrays. She walked past them and found a bench hidden behind the foliage, she went on the natural path and stood at the end of the garden, the view mesmerizing her. Free from any trees or plants, this part offered a unique view of Corinth.

"This is the highest point of view of the entire City." The Conqueror informed behind the girl. "It was a guarding post under the former King." She herself prefered her men on the streets rather than here away from the feels of the City. She wanted her soldiers close to the inhabitants, accessible and yet feared.

Closing the gap between them, the ruler took notice of the Princess' wrists.

"Your arm?" she inquired.

Without turning her gaze toward the woman, Alexa answered. "Master Elpis said it was fine, just to go easy on it."

Both kept quiet for awhile, busying themselves watching Corinth's many lives, they could even hear a faint drum probably coming from street performers. Alexa wished she was down there, alongside the corinthians she sadly didn't know a thing about.

"Dinner was served inside, we should eat before it gets cold." The Conqueror said leaving the Princess' side.

When they entered, dinner was indeed on the little table. They both sat and started eating without a word. Alexa wasn't expecting to have dinner alone with the ruler, she asked about it and the answer didn't disappoint.

"We have things to talk about."


	20. Chapter 20

**Twenty ! I'm not sure but I think it's the longest I've ever written. Hope you enjoy ! **

**And don't hesitate to let a review, I love to know what you think !**

The sun quickly disappeared from the sky making it difficult for them to see each other. The older woman stood up to light up the room, a glow slowly illuminating her profile. Hair black like ink, high cheekbones and a fine nose were beating the dark revealing themselves at the Princess' eyes.

Alexa had seen beautiful women in her life but describing the warrior with such a simple word couldn't start to cover the truth of her. Maybe it was the power oozing from her every move, her every look that made her that impressive, she didn't know … something told her that it wasn't just that. But she understood the comparaisons that was made between the Conqueror and the Olympian Gods. Maybe it was the easiest explanation after all, maybe the warrior was really the daughter of a God, like Hercules was. Alexa wondered briefly if the warrior and Zeus' mortal son ever crossed path.

Looking down at herself, Alexa again was faced with a painful truth about herself.

_A mistake, another lie … It's the only logical explanation._

She may be wearing clothes only a King could offer, but it was just an illusion. The clothes didn't always make the man and the Princess knew that stripped of them she was no one.

The warrior was another story altogether, without her armor she would still be a force of nature, a natural leader. Authority wasn't coming from her rich clothes but from who she was deep inside. Her fine dresses were just a distraction, a smokescreen to distract people like her, mere mortals. They were covering her true face, the one of a deadly warrior.

A crazy thought was pushing itself into her consciousness lately – one she has kept to herself not daring to share it with anyone here – an irrational fear devoid of any root in reality, a warning's voice screaming between her ears that it wall all one big mistake. Someone along the way must have been …

"... wrong"

The warrior turned to look at the girl a questioning look on her face. Alexa blushed realizing her thoughts has passed her defenses and made themselves audible to others.

"Maybe you were wrong."

"About?" The ruler asked frowning.

"Me ... us."

"I wouldn't be where I am today if I was capable of doing such mistakes."

The first look she had fixed upon the girl when she entered Amphipolis made her question her own memory though. Years trying to bury part of her dreadful past could have messed them up, she had thought at the time. But her meeting with Misha had pushed all of her doubts away, recollections of the day she had given up her baby coming back by waves before her eyes.

A whole day spent under the rain trying to reach Amphipolis as quickly as she could, the humid smell of the forest surrounding her when watching Misha walk back toward the village with a bundle of flesh carefully held in her arms, she had remembered all that.

She could even still hear the screams of the infant and her surprise at her reaction to it, the sheer willpower she had to summon to not leave her hiding place and run after the woman. She remembered the days that followed, the pain her body made her go through, the time it took to make her body forget she ever carried life.

She understood the girl's doubts though, knowing where they were coming from.

"You're too focused on our lack of resemblance whereas it's exactly for that reason that I knew right away who you were. Because you look like him."

"My father?"

Father … he was no father, never would have been. If the baby had been a boy it would have been different but Xena knew from the start she would give birth to a girl and she didn't need the visions of a sorcerer to know this.

"Borias was his name. He died before you were even born, killed by his own men."

"So he was a warrior?"

"A warlord." Xena made sure to clarify. "Don't feel sad for him," She added seeing the girl's look "he doesn't deserve it."

A girl was of no use for men like Borias, except as entertainment. She saw what future was waiting for any daughter of Borias and she certainly wasn't going to give him the pleasure.

The man had believed her when she told him they were having a son, a strong boy she had said. He had been ecstatic at the news, already imagining what the boy's life would be like. What she didn't expect though was the change she witnessed deep inside the man. He tried to convince her to stop fighting, to stop running, he wanted them to settle.

"You didn't love him."

"We were using each other, it was never about love." She was telling the girl that even if she knew that Borias fell in love with her at some point, something she never saw coming. Her pregnancy probably awakening something in the man, something she couldn't share with him.

"You have his eyes." And it was unsettling to see for Xena.

"You never loved him but you see him in me."

"You're not him." _You're not me. _"You're nothing like us, and I will thank Misha for it for the rest of my life." The ruler tried to convey gently.

"What about Queen Gabrielle?" Alexa asked with hesitation. "Were you just using each other like with Borias?"

"No, we fell in love."

"But she's a woman."

"She's a person." Xena pointed matter of factly. "Man, woman, what matters is what you feel for them. I fell in love with who she is, why should it matter that she's a woman?"

"Do you still love her?"

"I will always love her." The certainty in the tone of the ruler didn't let much place for a doubt. "But we're not walking on the same path anymore."

A gust of wind entered the room making the candlelights flutter around them. Seeing the ruler walk toward the balcony, Alexa stood up and followed her. She stood in the middle of the garden, not unlike a candlemark ago, stopping any of the warrior's attempts to close the doors separating the room of the garden. Xena joined her and they walked together toward the back of it, Alexa wanting to see again the beautiful view of Corinth.

"I like her."

Xena guessed as much. A few could remain impassive in front of the Amazon Queen. "Whatever happened between the Queen and I, know that she's someone you can trust."

They had their differences but Xena knew Gabrielle would be there if the need arise for her to help and she wanted Alexa to know this, to give her a way out if need be.

The ruler's remark rang a bell inside the Princess' head. She didn't know why it did but she couldn't ignore the uneasy feeling that was taking place in her belly.

"At the Ball," Xena went on on more pressuring matters, "you will be presented as my daughter, the Greek Empire Princess but Alienor as well. I chose her as my heir. From now on, she will be part of my lienage like you are. And when the time comes she will rule in my place. But I want you to understand that it doesn't mean I'm favoring her over you."

"I know." She really did. Alienor looked the part, and she knew what was going on around her. Most importantly, people trusted her, she had seen her interact with the people here inside the stronghold, they respected her because she was respecting them too.

"She will need every support she can find. I hope you will be one of them."

The Princess shared a glance with the ruler, unsure of what she was asking of her. "I don't know how I could be of any help."

"Because of who you are. Because you're smart and you're strong."

Blushing at the praise, Alexa hid her face from the eyes of the warrior. She couldn't stop herself from asking though. "You think I'm strong?"

"Yes I do. I've seen it the first time we met. You crashed into my horse but you weren't afraid, not of him nor of me. I've seen it again after you learned the truth about me, you stood up for yourself, you refused to be scared. Few would have the courage to do so."

The conviction wasn't faked. Since they left Amphipolis, Xena was waiting to see glimpses of the girl she had met that day, the fearless teen who couldn't care less that it was the Conqueror in person she was confronting. She wanted to see this spark again, the one that disappeared the night the girl lost everything that was dear to her. Xena promised herself right there to help her find herself again.

"When you are at the top you need someone who's not afraid to tell you when you're wrong, someone to keep you on your toes. Someone like you."

* * *

><p>She was walking in one of the luxurious Castle's gardens, one of the only things kept untouched by the Conqueror when she entered Corinth.<p>

Her long blond hair were let free for once and were cascading in her back hiding almost all of it. It was a strange feeling to be out in the open without caring about the fact that she wasn't as well-kept as she usually was. Until now she had tried to rely on her strict education, reminding herself how important appearance was and her duty to show the best side of herself at all times, not only for her but out of respect for her status.

She remembered a time in Persepolis spent running and swimming with her sisters and a comment made by the Queen after seeing her daughters dishevelled by the activities_._ _"Only scoundrels and ladies of the night would be seen with their hair untied in that manner" _she remembered her saying. She didn't think she would ever be able to forget the voice of the woman.

Now it didn't matter anymore though, she could finally detach herself from the ghost of the Queen, as if the words of the Conqueror had finally lifted a weight that was previously crushing her.

Finding her way back inside the Castle, Alienor encountered Patrocle, the man informing her he'd like to take some of her time.

"Choices have been made about your personal Guard, if you have time I'd like you to approve of them."

"I didn't expect it to be decided so quickly."

"You know very well security is not a subject she takes lightly." The man explained refering to the ruler's opinion on the matter. "Most of them are faces you already know. All are experimented and trusted soldiers."

Before going any further, Patrocle wanted to know, "Are you sure you want to do that?"

"I don't think I have a choice." The Princess answered a bit lost.

"I'm not talking about the guards Alienor."

It took her a while before making sense of the hesitation of the man and a sense of disillusion washed over her. "You don't approve of her choice of me as her heir."

"I wonder if it's yours."

"Nothing was forced upon me Patrocle. I could have refused."

Despite the conviction she was putting into her words, she felt the man wasn't quite believing her.

"You know what would have been my life back in Persepolis." Alienor started as a reminder of what her life was like back there. "I would have been married off to someone with enough money and influence to please my father. Not even a Prince mind you, I wasn't worth that much. They would have chosen someone with a fortune no matter his age or his past, they didn't care about that. My only role would have been to provide heirs to my husband and his family. I didn't have a voice back there Patrocle, women often don't. Here, I can make a difference. I'll be able to talk for those who can't."

They stopped before entering the barracks, Alienor still willing to convince the man she hadn't accepted the task lightly.

Turning to face him the Princess went on. "If I can show one girl out there that she can be more than what was decided for her, if I can give her the strength to fight for what she wants for herself then it's worth the burden. Just for one girl, it would be worth it."

Things had changed since Xena unified the Empire but there was so much to do still. Too many girls had to give up on their dreams when confronted to the pressure to wed. Once married they were expected to take care of their house, their husband and children. The Empire was loosing on so much potential it wasn't making any sense. And how many still were expected to marry a man chose by anyone but themselves?

Patrocle kept quiet taken aback by the powerful stance of the Princess on issues he knew she cared about. She wanted to save the defenseless, one people at a time if necessary and he had no doubt she would fight tirelessly to achieve that but he was also aware of the fact that ruling was not about a handful of people but about an entire civilization. One couldn't lead for a few, you were leading for all or there was no point to lead at all.

"If this is what you really want, I'll be at your side for as long as you need me." Patrocle assured her finally.

They entered the barracks and once inside Patrocle introduced the soldiers chosen by the Conqueror to be the Princess' personal guards.

Alienor recognized most of them as promised, the Captain of her little team being one of Xena's own personal guards. They were all seasoned warriors, all way too qualified for their skills to be wasted at her side. She knew it was surely an honor for them to serve their Lord in this manner but for her it would always seem like it was too much.

A knock on the barack's door was heard, and every head turned toward Patrocle. Adressing the Princess, he explained, "A latecomer. Some of our choices were stationed outside the city, we had to send words for them to join us as quickly as they could." He said while ordering the newcomer to enter.

It took her a moment to recognize who had just entered the room, due probably to the transformation of the woman since the last time they had seen each other. Wavy auburn hair loosely tied up by a leather cord, a black armor over her regulatory uniform, she looked fantastic. But what really stunned the Princess was the elaborated tattoos displayed on her right arm, she could only guess them from where she was standing but it looked huge. Crossing the look of the Conqueror's Second in command she could see he was also surprise at the sight, a surprise which quickly disappeared to be replaced by a displeased frown. She watched him expecting a comment to be thrown but he seemed to refrained himself at the last moment.

Many things had changed in Greece but a few still had not budged. For most of the greek population, tattoos were still a mark wore by slaves and thieves, it represented the dregs of society so seeing one of the Conqueror's soldier displaying such things on the open was surprising at best but it could also be seen as a provocation.

The woman she had known would never have done such a thing to her body, the Princess thought.

After the introductions were over, Alienor dismissed the soldiers wanting to have the chance to talk with the newcomer.

"Could you give us some time. Alone, please." Alienor asked Patrocle who accepted without hesitation. She was grateful for the man's intuition when it came to this sort of thing, he knew when to leave a room.

"You look well." She said in the direction of the tattooed woman. "Different but well." The woman stood her arms crossed refusing to meet her eyes. "I didn't know they would ask for you." Alienor tried wanting to break the ice.

"I wanted to come home." The soldier finally said nonchalant. "That's why I'm here. If being a part of your personal guards is what it takes to stay in Corinth then that's fine by me."

Their last encounter dated back to less than a year ago, when the Princess was preparing her departure to Athens. She clearly recalled their discussion, the words used.

"I asked to be kept informed of your whereabouts. I heard what you did, I heard even the Conqueror was impressed."

The soldier remained impassive at her words.

"Nyssa ..." Alienor called gently. "You would have thrown away your chance at a career if I had accepted to let you follow me to Athens. With your skills you deserved more than an inane job in a boring city. Everyone would have forgotten about you over there."

"Are you expecting a thank you?" The soldier asked incredulous.

"I don't think it would be so far fetched to ask for one."

"By the Gods you haven't changed."

"You have." The Princess commented giving the soldier a once-over. "No news … did you forget how to write during your campaign?"

"I was busy." The soldier answered dismissively.

"You're still mad."

"I have a right to be. You went behind my back."

"I was doing you a favor. You wouldn't be here today of I hadn't."

The soldier rolled her eyes at the comment. "How did you manage without me ?" she asked wanting to change the subject.

"I made new friends."

That made Nyssa scoff, "No you didn't."

"No I didn't but at least I got into much less trouble without you around."

"How could this be when YOU were the one always coming up with the worst ideas?"

"The camping trip was your idea."

"Yes and I paid dearly for it."

She wasn't wrong on this, it was a good memory despite the consequences that fell upon them after the fact. The remembrance made her smile. They may have been sixteen at the time, friends for a short time but good friends nonetheless. Both bored out of their mind they decided to leave for the afternoon, Nyssa wanting to show the Princess her favorite place. They rode just the two of them for a candlemark after passing the City's Wall to the place in question. None the wiser, their little trip lasted longer that they had planned and soon without them noticing, the sun disappeared from the sky. The night surrounding them they found themselves unable to make the trip back toward the City. A few candlemarks into the night they saw two riders coming their way wearing greeks uniforms, their rescue party. The soldiers showed them the way back to the City where two fuming figures were waiting for them. Alienor remembered how terrified she had been of the ruler that night, enough to keep her away from any foolish ideas for a very long time. The results of their little adventure had been painful for Nyssa but the girl still managed to take the risks to break into the Princess' quarters to keep her company after the ruler banned her from getting out of them.

That's the day for Alienor when they became the best of friends.

"I missed you."

The soldier smiled at those words. "I missed you too."

* * *

><p>"It seems like congratulations are in order."<p>

Alienor looked behind her at the Amazon Queen a questioning look on her face.

"People are expected to celebrate the new heir."

"I don't think I have quite registered the information yet. But thank you."

Gabrielle smiled knowing how it felt. She crossed the gap between them and stood close to the Princess. She looked ahead and saw as a handful of men were sparring in the middle of the stronghold's training ground, a few men and one woman. The Queen watched amazed at her skills, she was fast and strong, more than holding her ground against her sparring partners.

"Who is she ?" The Amazon asked curious to know the identity of the woman.

Alienor followed the Queen's eyes. "One of my new personal guards. Her name is Nyssa."

"Nyssa?" She asked unable to contain her astonishment, this couldn't be a coincidence. "Patrocle's Nyssa?"

The Princess looked up shocked the Queen was aware of this bit of information, Patrocle being very discreet about his personal life and Nyssa despising any form of special treatment.

"You know her?"

"We met a few times." The Queen informed. Given the look she was throwing her, Gabrielle understood the Princess needed a little bit more in term of explanation. "Have you tried Patrocle's wife cooking?" The Queen asked Alienor who shook her head no in answer. "Well, it's something you get addicted to and thanksfully Patrocle was kind enough to often invite us over to his house for dinner. That's where I met Nyssa."

Her memories of those days made her nostalgic of her time with Patrocle, his generosity, his friendship. Aside from being the Conqueror second in command he was a loving father. He opened his home to them and it is during one of those time that she met his children. She remembered his daughter, his only daughter, a shy girl always glued to her father. The woman she was seeing down there was so different from the girl she had met all those years ago.

Their observation of the soldier's training got noticed eventually and Nyssa didn't waste any time to call for their attention.

"Would you care to join us your Grace, see if we can add your skills to our defense system?" Nyssa asked the Princess in what would appear like a perfectly innocent request but Alienor knew this tone, she knew the woman was taunting her. She didn't hesitate to join her.

They sparred together under the watchful eyes of the Amazon Queen who was quickly joined by Patrocle.

"I'm surprised you went along with it." She said showing him that she knew who the woman down there was.

"Because you think she asks my permission for it?" He said in a scoff. "I learned about it when she almost cut off Alienor's fingers while secretly sparring together. She was afraid Xena was going to kill her for hurting the Princess so she came to me and told me the truth. Idiots." He added looking at the two girls. "She enrolled in the army a few days after that."

They watched as Alienor swiftly led an attack on a clearly dumbfounded soldier, the man not expecting the Princess to be capable of something like this. He recovered quickly and went after her this time but the young woman blocked the blow.

"She's good." The Queen commented impressed.

"Xena trained her herself."

Gabrielle looked at him in surprise, not remembering anyone having the privilege to become the personal student of the Conqueror.

Patrocle had been stunned as well by the turn of event at the time, that's why he felt the need to explain.

"It started after the incident involving the Princess almost cut off fingers, when we discovered they were training together in secret."

He recalled his visit to Alienor while she was being treated by Master Elpis. The girls had been training with some of his own old swords thanksfully, their edges barely sharp enough to be used to cut vegetables. The cuts weren't deep but it hurt and the risk of infection was high.

"I think she just wanted to give her a lesson at first but the girl wasn't half bad so she kept training her. It became their thing, one of the only occasion for Alienor to be alone with Xena."

So much had happened, so much things she had missed.

"I saw the cut on her neck Gabrielle." The man said turning serious refering to the result of her last meeting with Xena. "She said she must have scratched herself somehow but I would recognize a cut made by a knife anywhere and I know you're the reason for it."

It was an serious accusation, an attempt on the Conqueror's life meant death for the convicted. If it had been anyone else, Gabrielle knew Patrocle would already have the head of the person responsible at his feet.

"For what it's worth, I disagreed with her. I wanted you to know everything from the moment we left Amphipolis."

"You didn't try hard enough." The Queen said her jaw tight.

Despite the aggravated state of his friend, he went on. "You told me yourself, my loyalty shouldn't be questioned. Besides, we may not agree with her methods but it doesn't mean she's wrong." He turned toward her, trying to catch her eyes but she refused him.

"Work with her Gabrielle, this is the only way."

"That's all I was asking for ! For us to work together to salvage what was still standing."

"Then make sure she can't do it without you. There was a time when you couldn't do anything without the agreement of the other."

"Those days are long gone." She said darkly.

"You said you were ready to sacrifice your own life for your Nation."

"What does that have to do w-"

"If the Amazon Nation were legally attached to the Empire, no one would dare attack you, not even the Romans."

"Why do you think I came here for exactly ?" The Queen asked losing her patience.

"Signing a paper making your Nation a protectorate of the Empire just after the first threats, how convenient … did you think that would ever be seen as serious? Lao Ma, Cleopatra, they're not stupid, they know well that it will never effectively bound you to the Empire, that's why they would never have accepted to send their own troops. Why should they risk it after all? They know that after the signature you will go on as if nothing had happened because Xena would never act on it, you know it, you were even counting on it." He said daring the Queen to say otherwise. "Brutus is not stupid either you know. He waited long enough for everyone to not care anymore about what could happen to the Amazons. The only one that would still care at least a little bit, for old time sake, is Xena and he knows she can't move without triggering a series of awful events."

His words were not meant to judge nor hurt but he knew they were anyway. The Queen was avoiding his glare and he could feel how tense she was beside him. For the past days he had prayed for the two rulers to get past their differences but to no avail. He had waited but he had to come to the conclusion that they couldn't see clearly right now, missing out on the only reasonable solution to this mess.

"Rome has the upper hand for the first time since you and Xena joined your forces. Brutus knows that it's his chance. The parlay, it's just a way for him to play with us."

Gabrielle was well aware of that but for them it was a way of gaining some time.

"What are you suggesting then?" She asked knowing the man had something at the back of his head.

"If you're serious about the sacrifice you're ready to make for your Nation then act on it. Bound your Nation to the Empire by the strongest contract, the only one recognized and respected by all the parties involved."

His words took their time to register in the Queen's mind. She turned to look at him needing to make sure the man had not lost his mind all of a sudden. To her horror, he was being serious.

"I know what I'm saying Gabrielle." Patrocle said recognizing the look thrown to him. "But do you see any other way?"

She didn't. She couldn't. Not after what he had just asked her.


End file.
